USS-SWC 2008 – History and Philosophy of the Biomedical Sciences

The 8th Vienna Summer University was held on June 30–July 11, 2008.

The field of History and Philosophy of the Biomedical Sciences has, in the recent decade, become a hot spot in historical research and philosophical debate. The increasing place of biomedical sciences in contemporary societies and individual lives has raised many questions concerning the epistemological and practical status of biology and medicine.
The course will deal with some of the fundamental philosophical problems of biomedical sciences, raised by their historical development since the age of the Scientific Revolution of the 17th century to the very contemporary development in biomedicine, biotechnology and medical practices.
Selected topics of historical and philosophical relevance will be covered, which are at the core of present-day debates and have great relevance for bioethical debates and social and political concerns on the role of biology and medicine in our societies. Particular attention will be devoted to some methodological issues and to the necessary link between historical and philosophical inquiries.
The course will be necessarily transdisciplinary and because of its advanced content, general background and introductory material will be distributed to the participants in advance in order to facilitate the discussion and a common reflection on the topics suggested.