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. 2003 Aug;29(4):261-2.
doi: 10.1136/jme.29.4.261.

Medicine as an essentially contested concept

C McKnight  1
Affiliations

Medicine as an essentially contested concept

C McKnight. J Med Ethics. 2003 Aug.

Abstract

W B Gallie's notion of essentially contested concepts remains of philosophical interest. I argue that medicine is one such concept and look at the consequences of this as regards the inappropriateness of looking for definitions and necessary and sufficient conditions to settle debates about what medicine is and is not.

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References

    1. J Med Ethics. 2002 Apr;28(2):120-3; discussion 124-5 - PubMed
    1. J Med Ethics. 2002 Apr;28(2):81-5 - PubMed