Bristol, 13-15 April.

The aims of this conference are:

To examine the nature, scope, causes, and grounds of progress in medicine.

To provide a forum for developing the unified study of the history and philosophy of medicine, and in particular raising the profile of the philosophy of medicine in the UK and its engagement with the history of medicine.

To create interdisciplinary bridges between the medical, philosophical, and historical professions, enabling medical professionals to become more theoretically engaged, while philosophers and philosophically-minded historians of medicine engage with the actual practice of medical professionals, so that their research reflects the realities and needs of modern medicine.

To facilitate the wider dissemination of research into the philosophy and history of medicine beyond the boundaries of those disciplines, and especially in medical practice.

To identify opportunities for public engagement concerning the relation between medical progress and changing attitudes to medical knowledge, the medical profession, and medical authority.

Conference website (with link to CfP) here.

This looks like it could be interesting…

Department of Philosophy, University of Bristol

This is an informal workshop on topics in the philosophy of medicine.

Everyone is welcome.

•09.45–11.00 Kevin Brosnan (Cambridge) “Does nothing in medicine make sense except in light of evolution?”
•11.15–12.30 Jeremy Howick (UCL) “Defining a role for mechanistic reasoning in EBM”
•13.30–14.45 Havi Carel (UWE) “Phenomenology and its application in clinical medicine”
•15.00–16.15 Alex Broadbent (Cambridge) “Inferring causation in epidemiology: mechanisms, black boxes, and contrasts”

The workshop will take place in the Common Room, Ground Floor, Department of Philosophy, 9 Woodland Road.

There is no need to register—it will be fine if you just turn up on the day. (If you do know that you are coming, it may be helpful to let us know, to ensure that we have a large enough room.) If you have any questions, please contact Alexander.Bird {AT} bristol.ac.uk.

Interesting Research Ethics Conference at UCL in November, and I’m not just saying that because I am one of the speakers…

more…

“I’m surprised,” said the German philosopher whose name I’ve forgotten but next to whom I was walking towards the ice-cream parlour, “how little argument there is here.”

I have to admit it - had he chosen his parallel sessions unluckily, he could easily have been left with the notion that the ESPMH is an argument-free zone: I, too, was struck by that.  And anyone who thought or dared hope that principlism might one day fade would have been disappointed, too - it seems to be alive and well.  I agreed with the claim of one paper that I heard that we ought to move away from B&C - but not with the suggestion that we ought to move towards another principlist system.

But enough carping - every conference has papers that don’t impress, and contributors that don’t impress either; but every confernce also has papers that are interesting, challenging, and provocative.  The same applies here.  more…

I’m currently at the ESPMH conference in Tübingen - and having found a cybercafe, I’ll try to make the odd post about what’s happening if I get the chance.  In the meantime, have some of this:

I went to see Hegel’s house in Stuttgart on Monday.  It was closed.  Then open.  Then somewhere in between.

Badum-tish.  I’m here all week, folks.

Details here.  As David mentioned before, he, Søren and I are all going to be giving papers.

Thought this might be of interest to some of our readers - and not just because all of the editors of this bog are speaking at this workshop!

more…

This looks like an interesting event at Queen Mary, University of London on the 29th of April.

High-profile lawyer Phil Shiner will join a timely debate on ethics, medicine and human rights, an Arts Week event. In ‘Medicine Under Pressure: The Law and Ethics of Medicine in Conflict Situations’ a panel of distinguished legal and philosophical minds will discuss the professional regulation of doctors at work in combat, occupation and humanitarian relief settings.

more…

Keele, March 30th.

Details below the fold. more…