When, How, and Why Did “Pain” Become Subjective?
The pain-assessment literature often claims that pain is subjective. However, the meaning and implications of this claim are left to the reader’s imagination. This paper attempts to make sense of the claim and its problems from the history and philosophy of science perspective. It examines the work...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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University Library System, University of Pittsburgh
2023-06-01
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| Series: | Philosophy of Medicine |
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| Online Access: | https://philmed.pitt.edu/philmed/article/view/146 |
| _version_ | 1797813345676427264 |
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| author | Charles Djordjevic |
| author_facet | Charles Djordjevic |
| author_sort | Charles Djordjevic |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The pain-assessment literature often claims that pain is subjective. However, the meaning and implications of this claim are left to the reader’s imagination. This paper attempts to make sense of the claim and its problems from the history and philosophy of science perspective. It examines the work of Henry Beecher, the first person to operationalize “pain” in terms of subjective measurements. First, I reconstruct Beecher’s operationalization of “pain.” Next, I argue this operationalization fails. Third, I salvage Beecher’s insights by repositioning them in an intersubjective account. Finally, I connect these insights to current pain-assessment approaches, showing that they enrich each other. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-13T07:51:35Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-f1453143adab48949e094125932724ed |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2692-3963 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-13T07:51:35Z |
| publishDate | 2023-06-01 |
| publisher | University Library System, University of Pittsburgh |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Philosophy of Medicine |
| spelling | doaj.art-f1453143adab48949e094125932724ed2023-06-02T16:12:23ZengUniversity Library System, University of PittsburghPhilosophy of Medicine2692-39632023-06-014110.5195/pom.2023.146When, How, and Why Did “Pain” Become Subjective? Charles Djordjevic0Department of Philosophy, Lorain County Community College, Lorain, OH; Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland, OHThe pain-assessment literature often claims that pain is subjective. However, the meaning and implications of this claim are left to the reader’s imagination. This paper attempts to make sense of the claim and its problems from the history and philosophy of science perspective. It examines the work of Henry Beecher, the first person to operationalize “pain” in terms of subjective measurements. First, I reconstruct Beecher’s operationalization of “pain.” Next, I argue this operationalization fails. Third, I salvage Beecher’s insights by repositioning them in an intersubjective account. Finally, I connect these insights to current pain-assessment approaches, showing that they enrich each other.https://philmed.pitt.edu/philmed/article/view/146pain-assessmentsubjectivity of painoperationalizationHenry Beecher |
| spellingShingle | Charles Djordjevic When, How, and Why Did “Pain” Become Subjective? Philosophy of Medicine pain-assessment subjectivity of pain operationalization Henry Beecher |
| title | When, How, and Why Did “Pain” Become Subjective? |
| title_full | When, How, and Why Did “Pain” Become Subjective? |
| title_fullStr | When, How, and Why Did “Pain” Become Subjective? |
| title_full_unstemmed | When, How, and Why Did “Pain” Become Subjective? |
| title_short | When, How, and Why Did “Pain” Become Subjective? |
| title_sort | when how and why did pain become subjective |
| topic | pain-assessment subjectivity of pain operationalization Henry Beecher |
| url | https://philmed.pitt.edu/philmed/article/view/146 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT charlesdjordjevic whenhowandwhydidpainbecomesubjective |