Filosofi in corsia: La clinica come frontiera filosofica

Clinical practice is not only the frontier of application of the most advanced techniques produced by medical research; it is also an ambit in which man has to come to grips with the frontiers of his own thoughts, with his deepest anxieties and most distant hopes, and where his very being is radically thrown into question by pain and disease. It is an ambit that raises questions of absolute philosophical relevance, given that reflections on man and his destiny, on the meaning of life, and on pain, death and life's great choices are very much a part of the sphere of philosophy. In view of this, we should not find it surprising to come across philosophers among the various professional individuals involved in caring for and accompanying a patient during his course of hospital treatment. This article illustrates the principles behind a project to introduce philosophy as a source of support in the ambit of existential suffering. It endeavours, in particular, to describe, define and put into context the functions of the philosopher in the hospital environment, above all vis-à-vis other professionals (psychologist, psychiatrist, psychoanalyst) already involved in the treatment process.