Soc Sci Med. 1994 Nov; 39(9): 1125-31.

Beyond the orthodox: heresy in medicine and social science.

Gillett G.

Department of Neurosurgery, Otago Medical School, Dunedin, New Zealand.

Kuhn's seminal work on scientific revolutions has undermined any strong claim to the idea that there is one single true theory about the way nature is. Both social science and medicine share, in differing ways, the uncertainty produced by the complexity of the human condition. This is not well accommodated by the traditional medicine model. There are both individual diseases and individual responses to disease that require a more holistic response to the patient. The holistic responses to these problems show promise but require careful evaluation through critical reflection on our practice of medicine.