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Joseph K. visits the sick house: how the medical humanities require the medical posthumanities.

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Τίτλος: Joseph K. visits the sick house: how the medical humanities require the medical posthumanities.
Συγγραφείς: J Fitzgerald M; Department of Biomedical Education and Anatomy, Center for Bioethics and Medical Humanities, College of Medicine, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, USA. martin.fitzgerald@osumc.edu., J Katz P; University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center, Cleveland, USA. peter.katz@uhhospitals.org.
Πηγή: Monash bioethics review [Monash Bioeth Rev] 2026 Aug; Vol. 44 (Suppl 1), pp. 103-125. Date of Electronic Publication: 2025 Apr 25.
Τύπος έκδοσης: Journal Article
Γλώσσα: English
Στοιχεία περιοδικού: Publisher: Springer Country of Publication: United States NLM ID: 100973394 Publication Model: Print-Electronic Cited Medium: Internet ISSN: 1836-6716 (Electronic) Linking ISSN: 13212753 NLM ISO Abbreviation: Monash Bioeth Rev Subsets: MEDLINE
Imprint Name(s): Publication: 2014- : New York : Springer
Original Publication: Vic. [i.e. Victoria], Australia : Centre for Human Bioethics, Monash University
Ιατρικοί όροι (MeSH): Humanities* , Narration*, Humans
Περίληψη: This paper challenges the typical function of narrative in the medical humanities to advocate for a medical posthumanities: an approach that destabilizes the centrality of "the human" and instead embraces patient narratives that are embodied, fragmented, and provisional. To make this claim, we first challenge the stability of the "humanity" described in the "medical humanities" and reiterated in the genre that we call "the medical romance." In this genre, illness and suffering destabilize a sense of identity and coherence, which is then restored through introspection and interpretation of the patient narrative. To challenge this genre, we turn to surface reading, a literary studies technique that sees traditional interpretation as too hurriedly foreclosing on meaning. Through a close reading of Franz Kafka's The Trial and Henrik Ibsen's Hedda Gabler, we demonstrate both what surface reading looks like and also how it embraces generic and interpretive instability. Finally, we focus this approach to narrative on physician-assisted suicide (PAS), particularly attending to PAS and disability, to argue that both medical romance and its entailed traditional narrative interpretation overvalue "the human" as an agential individual seeking a "good death." This at once affirms the tendency to encourage the allegedly meaningful death of disabled people by PAS, and also excludes from narrative focus the structural and environmental sources of suffering. The medical posthumanities, in its attention to embodiment, networks, environment, and the decentralizing of individual agents, would better make room for patient narratives that value the messiness and interconnectedness of lived experience.
(© 2025. The Author(s).)
Competing Interests: Declarations. Conflict of interest: The authors declare no competing interests.
References: Crit Rev Oncol Hematol. 2012 Dec 31;84 Suppl 2:S1-4. (PMID: 23347412)
J Med Humanit. 2008 Mar;29(1):45-54. (PMID: 18058208)
Med Humanit. 2022 Sep;48(3):325-334. (PMID: 34580192)
N Engl J Med. 1997 Jun 5;336(23):1671-3. (PMID: 9171072)
Disabil Health J. 2010 Jan;3(1):39-50. (PMID: 21122767)
Camb Q Healthc Ethics. 1994 Spring;3(2):303-6. (PMID: 11644568)
Med Humanit. 2011 Dec 1;37(2):73-8. (PMID: 22038696)
Med Humanit. 2015 Dec;41(2):77-80. (PMID: 25795700)
Acad Med. 2009 Feb;84(2):192-8. (PMID: 19174663)
Lancet. 2000 Dec 16;356(9247):2086-9. (PMID: 11145506)
Ann Intern Med. 2001 Jan 2;134(1):83-7. (PMID: 11187429)
Med Educ. 2002 Jun;36(6):508-13. (PMID: 12047662)
JAMA. 2001 Oct 17;286(15):1897-902. (PMID: 11597295)
Med Humanit. 2002 Jun;28(1):41-4. (PMID: 23671050)
J Med Humanit. 2008 Mar;29(1):15-25. (PMID: 18058003)
N Engl J Med. 1997 Jan 2;336(1):50-3. (PMID: 8970940)
Med Humanit. 2015 Jun;41(1):2-7. (PMID: 26052111)
J Med Philos. 1996 Jun;21(3):303-20. (PMID: 8803811)
J Cancer Educ. 2022 Oct;37(5):1267-1274. (PMID: 34319566)
Med Educ. 2017 Jan;51(1):13-21. (PMID: 27981654)
Contributed Indexing: Keywords: Disability; Medical humanities; Narrative ethics; Posthumanism
Entry Date(s): Date Created: 20250425 Date Completed: 20260829 Latest Revision: 20260901
Update Code: 20260901
PubMed Central ID: PMC13526099
DOI: 10.1007/s40592-025-00242-5
PMID: 40281252
Βάση Δεδομένων: MEDLINE
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  Data: Joseph K. visits the sick house: how the medical humanities require the medical posthumanities.
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AU" term="%22J+Fitzgerald+M%22">J Fitzgerald M</searchLink>; Department of Biomedical Education and Anatomy, Center for Bioethics and Medical Humanities, College of Medicine, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, USA. martin.fitzgerald@osumc.edu.<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AU" term="%22J+Katz+P%22">J Katz P</searchLink>; University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center, Cleveland, USA. peter.katz@uhhospitals.org.
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  Data: This paper challenges the typical function of narrative in the medical humanities to advocate for a medical posthumanities: an approach that destabilizes the centrality of "the human" and instead embraces patient narratives that are embodied, fragmented, and provisional. To make this claim, we first challenge the stability of the "humanity" described in the "medical humanities" and reiterated in the genre that we call "the medical romance." In this genre, illness and suffering destabilize a sense of identity and coherence, which is then restored through introspection and interpretation of the patient narrative. To challenge this genre, we turn to surface reading, a literary studies technique that sees traditional interpretation as too hurriedly foreclosing on meaning. Through a close reading of Franz Kafka's The Trial and Henrik Ibsen's Hedda Gabler, we demonstrate both what surface reading looks like and also how it embraces generic and interpretive instability. Finally, we focus this approach to narrative on physician-assisted suicide (PAS), particularly attending to PAS and disability, to argue that both medical romance and its entailed traditional narrative interpretation overvalue "the human" as an agential individual seeking a "good death." This at once affirms the tendency to encourage the allegedly meaningful death of disabled people by PAS, and also excludes from narrative focus the structural and environmental sources of suffering. The medical posthumanities, in its attention to embodiment, networks, environment, and the decentralizing of individual agents, would better make room for patient narratives that value the messiness and interconnectedness of lived experience.<br /> (© 2025. The Author(s).)
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  Data: Crit Rev Oncol Hematol. 2012 Dec 31;84 Suppl 2:S1-4. (PMID: <searchLink fieldCode="PM" term="%2223347412%22">23347412)</searchLink><br />J Med Humanit. 2008 Mar;29(1):45-54. (PMID: <searchLink fieldCode="PM" term="%2218058208%22">18058208)</searchLink><br />Med Humanit. 2022 Sep;48(3):325-334. (PMID: <searchLink fieldCode="PM" term="%2234580192%22">34580192)</searchLink><br />N Engl J Med. 1997 Jun 5;336(23):1671-3. (PMID: <searchLink fieldCode="PM" term="%229171072%22">9171072)</searchLink><br />Disabil Health J. 2010 Jan;3(1):39-50. (PMID: <searchLink fieldCode="PM" term="%2221122767%22">21122767)</searchLink><br />Camb Q Healthc Ethics. 1994 Spring;3(2):303-6. (PMID: <searchLink fieldCode="PM" term="%2211644568%22">11644568)</searchLink><br />Med Humanit. 2011 Dec 1;37(2):73-8. (PMID: <searchLink fieldCode="PM" term="%2222038696%22">22038696)</searchLink><br />Med Humanit. 2015 Dec;41(2):77-80. (PMID: <searchLink fieldCode="PM" term="%2225795700%22">25795700)</searchLink><br />Acad Med. 2009 Feb;84(2):192-8. (PMID: <searchLink fieldCode="PM" term="%2219174663%22">19174663)</searchLink><br />Lancet. 2000 Dec 16;356(9247):2086-9. (PMID: <searchLink fieldCode="PM" term="%2211145506%22">11145506)</searchLink><br />Ann Intern Med. 2001 Jan 2;134(1):83-7. (PMID: <searchLink fieldCode="PM" term="%2211187429%22">11187429)</searchLink><br />Med Educ. 2002 Jun;36(6):508-13. (PMID: <searchLink fieldCode="PM" term="%2212047662%22">12047662)</searchLink><br />JAMA. 2001 Oct 17;286(15):1897-902. (PMID: <searchLink fieldCode="PM" term="%2211597295%22">11597295)</searchLink><br />Med Humanit. 2002 Jun;28(1):41-4. (PMID: <searchLink fieldCode="PM" term="%2223671050%22">23671050)</searchLink><br />J Med Humanit. 2008 Mar;29(1):15-25. (PMID: <searchLink fieldCode="PM" term="%2218058003%22">18058003)</searchLink><br />N Engl J Med. 1997 Jan 2;336(1):50-3. (PMID: <searchLink fieldCode="PM" term="%228970940%22">8970940)</searchLink><br />Med Humanit. 2015 Jun;41(1):2-7. (PMID: <searchLink fieldCode="PM" term="%2226052111%22">26052111)</searchLink><br />J Med Philos. 1996 Jun;21(3):303-20. (PMID: <searchLink fieldCode="PM" term="%228803811%22">8803811)</searchLink><br />J Cancer Educ. 2022 Oct;37(5):1267-1274. (PMID: <searchLink fieldCode="PM" term="%2234319566%22">34319566)</searchLink><br />Med Educ. 2017 Jan;51(1):13-21. (PMID: <searchLink fieldCode="PM" term="%2227981654%22">27981654)</searchLink>
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