Medicine in the Post-consumerist Society: A Philosophical Overview

Evangelos Koumparoudis offers a unique philosophical perspective on various aspects of medical practices in our post-consumerist society. Through an exploration of political philosophy, specifically the works of Lyotard, Baudrillard, Bauman, and Gungov, he sheds light on the ways in which meaning and sense are produced, and how mechanisms of manipulation are at play. By drawing upon phenomenology, hermeneutics, and post-structuralism, Koumparoudis offers a deeper understanding of these concepts.

In addition to these philosophical approaches, he also explores the intersection of neuroscience and artificial intelligence with classical phenomenology, and presents formalizations through which being can attain exteriority. By examining Kuhn's ideas on paradigmatic shifts, Koumparoudis offers insights into the two models of medical reasoning: the biomedical and the humanistic. Moreover, Koumparoudis delves into the creation and management of Big Data in medicine, and discusses the need for molecular-based categorization.

The author also explores the concept of patient safety as articulated by Gungov, and the interdisciplinary approach to medical sciences advocated by Schmid and Mambrini-Doudet. Through the lens of Levinas and Derrida, he examines the relationship between doctors and patients.

The book concludes with an examination of the idea of new forms of embodiment as they relate to political philosophy and the posthumanist and transhumanist traditions. Overall, Koumparoudis provides a fresh and comprehensive analysis of medical practices that is sure to appeal to scholars and researchers across various fields.

"A book that sheds light on how medical practice changes in the era of high technology and digitalized infrastructure. It combines both continental and analytic traditions to explore diverse topics – such as the mechanisms of manipulation, the progress of artificial intelligence in relation to neuroscience, the models of medical reasoning, the impact of big data on medicine, the doctor and patient relationship, and finally the new forms of embodiment. I strongly recommend it for medical practitioners, students and anyone interested in the philosophy of medicine."

— Themistoklis Pantazakos, Assistant Professor in Philosophy of Psychology, ACG, Honorary Research Fellow, UCL

" A provocative and insightful work, challenging us to rethink the role of medicine in a society that values consumption over care, efficiency over empathy, and profit over health. Being truly interdisciplinary, this book is a must-read for anyone interested in philosophy of medicine and its implications for ethics, policy and human well-being."

— Stergios Aidinlis, Lecturer in Law & Programme Director, MSc/LLM in Law, Artificial Intelligence and New Technologies at Keele University

Evangelos Komparoudis' book comprises very strong interdisciplinary insights into various ethical dimensions related to the everydayness of the medical decision-making process in the XX. century. 

— Piotr Pietrzak, Ph.D., Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski”