Even ethics professors fail to return library books

H Carel - Philosophy, Psychiatry, & Psychology, 2017 - muse.jhu.edu
Philosophy, Psychiatry, & Psychology, 2017muse.jhu.edu
Disorders (DSM) for philosophers, sociologists, and bioethicists is interesting and stems
from a well-supported concern about how nosological psychiatric categories interact with
both the epistemic norms of science and philosophy and with their consequences in the
world. Browne is grappling with a problem that is clearly stated and pressing. However, I am
not convinced that her solution, namely, using experts from these disciplines to form a veto-
wielding ethics committee, is an ameliorative to this problem. Browne identifies a problem …
Disorders (DSM) for philosophers, sociologists, and bioethicists is interesting and stems from a well-supported concern about how nosological psychiatric categories interact with both the epistemic norms of science and philosophy and with their consequences in the world. Browne is grappling with a problem that is clearly stated and pressing. However, I am not convinced that her solution, namely, using experts from these disciplines to form a veto-wielding ethics committee, is an ameliorative to this problem. Browne identifies a problem: The process of DSM revision involves making value judgements that are not explicitly articulated nor fully disambiguated from scientific judgments about, say, the reality of some psychiatric condition. Browne suggests that a committee formed out of experts about value judgements (philosophers, sociologists, and ethicists) may inform the process and halt the production of categories that stem from confusion, ambiguity, or lack of recognition for the underlying causes of the condition. One of her examples, that of premenstrual dysphoric disorder, suggests that placing the disorder squarely within the symptomatic individual is not true to reality and does a disservice to the suffering person as well as to women in general. Here are several points in response. First, I agree that psychiatric nosological categories require, indeed demand, the kind of scrutiny Browne advocates. However, such scrutiny cannot be limited to a committee made up of a small number of individuals. The categories need to be scrutinized more broadly by advocacy groups, patient fora, and discussion groups for health professionals, as well as by scholars and researchers who specialize in the kind of critical reflection required here. Browne seems to support the consultation process undertaken in preparing the DSM-V. However, it is not clear that a small group of experts (about which more below) would improve this already broad and open consultative process. Second, to relegate the ethical, critical, and reflective role to philosophers and sociologists seems to miss an important point about health professionals in general, and psychiatrists in particular: Medicine is an art, as well as a science, and the virtuous or excellent psychiatrist (and medic more generally) is a skilled, thoughtful,
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