Paradigm shifts and explanation in clinical medicine: The "how" of reality and the "why" of truth

Abstract

The philosophy of science in general, and the philosophy of biology in particular, arerelevant to scientific medicine. However, contemporary medical understanding raisesdistinct and perhaps unique ontological and epistemological issues that merit separate consideration, not least because they can have implications for practice. In this paper, weidentify some of these issues, using the current controversy surrounding the treatment ofanemia in cases of chronic kidney disease as exemplar. The preliminary inferences drawnfrom this discussion are presented as starting points for more detailed exploration byphilosophers, as well as matters for attention by clinicians. © 2013 Nova Science Publishers, Inc. All rights reserved.