Medicine as a Practical Science

Paper Summary:

In this essay the writer discusses the differences in the views between John Ladd and Kathryn Montgomery vis-a-vis whether or not medicine can properly be called a science. This paper reviews John Ladd's position in relation to the contrary position adopted by Kathryn Montgomery in respective book chapters penned by the two of them. The writer points out that Ladd is firmly of the view that it is because diagnosticians are expected to follow a certain protocol and a certain algorithm when performing their duties; in that regard, it follows the scientific approach utilized by researchers in the field of natural science.

From the Paper:

"Few professions are as demanding as medicine and a legitimate case can be made that none are more important. As should become apparent, there is a schism within the academic community as it pertains to the question of whether or not medicine should be properly defined as a science. Be that as it may, this writer finds Kathryn Montgomery's argument against the idea that medicine is a (practical) science to be more compelling than the argument Ladd presents, not least of all for her clever analogy to medical diagnosis as a sort of narrative-creation process."

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