Editorial

Philosophy, Ethics, and Humanities in Medicine: Expanding the open-access conversation on health care

Dan J Stein¹ , Derek Bolton² , Damiaan Denys³ , Thomas Huddle⁴ and Tia Powell⁵

¹  Dept of Psychiatry, University of Cape Town, Groote Schuur Hospital J-2, Anzio Rd, Observatory 7925, Cape Town, South Africa

²  Dept of Psychology, Institute of Psychiatry, Kings College London, London, UK

³  Dept of Psychiatry, University Medical Center, Utrecht, Netherlands

⁴  Division of General Internal Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham AL USA

⁵  New York State Task Force on Life and the Law, New York, USA

author email corresponding author email

Philosophy, Ethics, and Humanities in Medicine 2006, 1:1doi:10.1186/1747-5341-1-1

Published:	17 March 2006

Abstract

Natural philosophy once spanned the fields of philosophy, science, and medicine. Scientific disciplines and medical specialties have rapidly achieved independence, and the availability of the internet and open-access publishing promises a further expansion of knowledge. Nevertheless, a consideration of the grounding concepts and ethical principles that underlie health care remains paramount. It is timely, therefore, to contribute to the global conversation on health care with an open-access journal that focuses on addressing the conceptual basis of medicine and related disciplines, considering the ethical aspects of clinical practice, and exploring its intersection with the humanities (including history of medicine).