Being conscious of their burden: severe brain injury and the two cultures challenge

Writing 50 years after the publication of C. P. Snow's Two Cultures and The Scientific Revolution, this paper considers the many cultures that have to intersect to sustain and deepen the advances in the diagnosis and treatment of patients with disorders of consciousness. To bridge this "tw...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences 2009-03, Vol.1157 (1), p.131-147
Main Author: Fins, Joseph J
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Brain Injuries - complications
Consciousness Disorders - diagnosis
Consciousness Disorders - etiology
Consciousness Disorders - therapy
Cultural Characteristics
Ethics, Medical - history
History, 20th Century
History, 21st Century
Humans
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Summary:Writing 50 years after the publication of C. P. Snow's Two Cultures and The Scientific Revolution, this paper considers the many cultures that have to intersect to sustain and deepen the advances in the diagnosis and treatment of patients with disorders of consciousness. To bridge this "two-culture divide," the paper contextualizes scientific developments in this field within work in medical ethics and the humanities. The author asserts that this line of inquiry cannot go forward responsibly absent input from the humanities and an appreciation of the lived experiences of patients and families who confront the quotidian and existential challenges of severe brain injury.
ISSN:0077-8923
1749-6632
DOI:10.1111/j.1749-6632.2009.04473.x