On the Epistemic Condition of Medicine

Abstract

The article examines the epistemic condition of medicine and argues that, contrary to common belief, medicine is not a science but a technology. In the opening section, it presents Edmund Pellegrino’s analysis of the possible relationships between philosophy and medicine. To support the main thesis, the concepts of science, technique, and technology are distinguished, drawing on the contributions of Bunge, Diéguez, and Romero. Through a characterization of the medical field, it is shown that medicine is primarily oriented toward the practical resolution of health problems, relying on scientific knowledge without necessarily producing it. This structure is illustrated with the cases of Eduardo De Robertis (basic science), Bernardo Houssay (applied science), and René Favaloro (technology). The article also discusses the need to draw boundaries between evidence-based medicine and its contemporary falsifications, such as homeopathy.