What Is a Human Being, and What Is Its End?
Aristotle’s four causes help frame the question: matter, form, agent, and end.
Big Questions
The Big Questions Curriculum seeks to prepare pre-medical students to face those questions that inherently arise in the practice of medicine, such as what is the meaning of suffering? or what is the end of medicine? This curriculum presents excerpts from modern and ancient philosophy, literature, memoirs, and poetry to foster dialogue on foundational ideas in healthcare. The curriculum also includes relevant case studies, which serve to ground discussion in practical scenarios.
What Is the End of Medicine?
Medicine’s proper end is health: restoring or improving health, and caring for people when cure is not possible.
What Is the Meaning of Suffering?
Suffering extends beyond physical pain.
What Is Death and How Do We Die Well?
Plato, Aristotle and Epicurus give different accounts of death: separation of soul and body, the loss of living unity, or the end of conscious existence.
What Does It Mean to Flourish?
Flourishing concerns the goodness of a whole life, rather than pleasure or professional success alone.