Empiricist (medical school)

As an empiricist ( Greek ἐμπειρικὴ ἀγωγή ) an ancient medical school is called, which was founded around 250 BC. Chr. By Philinos of Kos and Serapion of Alexandria was founded, but to Hippocrates calls. From the beginning, this school was closely based on the skeptical philosophy , so its followers rejected any aetiological research. The school was particularly effective in therapy , especially in pharmacology . Occasionally the philosopher Sextus Empiricus is ascribed to this school. In his main work Πυρρωνείαι ὑποτυπώσεις (pyrrhoneíai hypotypôseis) - translated as: Basics of pyrrhonic skepticism - he explains (Book I, § 236–241, paragraph 236) “that it is neither identical with skepticism, nor is it for the skeptic it would be consistent to adopt this doctrine. It seems to me that he could rather join the so-called methodical school. "

The methodological basis of the empiricists was the experience built up from observation and testing as well as the conclusion by analogy.

Further empiricists were (according to Aulus Cornelius Celsus ) Apollonios of Kition , Glaukias and Herakleides of Taranto .

The Roman doctor Galen dealt with the teachings of the empiricists in his writings.

literature

Karl Deichgräber : The Greek Empiric School: Collection of the fragments and presentation of the teaching. Berlin / Zurich 1930; Weidmann, Berlin 1965 (expanded reprint of the 1930 edition)
Vivian Nutton : empiricist. In: The New Pauly (DNP). Volume 3, Metzler, Stuttgart 1997, ISBN 3-476-01473-8 , Sp. 1016-1018.
Hans Georg Manz: School of empiricists. In: Werner E. Gerabek , Bernhard D. Haage, Gundolf Keil , Wolfgang Wegner (eds.): Enzyklopädie Medizingeschichte. De Gruyter, Berlin / New York 2005, ISBN 3-11-015714-4 , p. 352 f.
Sextus Empiricus : Outline of the Pyrrhonic Skepticism. Suhrkamp, Frankfurt am Main; 8th edition 2017, ISBN 978-3-51-828099-7

Individual evidence

↑ Hans Georg von Manz: Empiric School. 2005, p. 352.
↑ Jutta Kollesch , Diethard Nickel : Ancient healing art. Selected texts from the medical writings of the Greeks and Romans. Philipp Reclam jun., Leipzig 1979 (= Reclams Universal Library. Volume 771); 6th edition ibid 1989, ISBN 3-379-00411-1 , p. 41.

[1] Hans Georg von Manz: Empiric School. 2005, p. 352.

[2] Jutta Kollesch , Diethard Nickel : Ancient healing art. Selected texts from the medical writings of the Greeks and Romans. Philipp Reclam jun., Leipzig 1979 (= Reclams Universal Library. Volume 771); 6th edition ibid 1989, ISBN 3-379-00411-1 , p. 41.