At 08:15 AM 1/23/01 -0500, you wrote:
>I would also hesitate to
>use a linear model of progress. Of course I am not arguing that things are
>not better now than they have ever been in human history (superstitious
>knocking of wood), but rather that "progress" is full of fits and starts,
>circularity, forgetfulness, backtracking, and active suppression of ideas.
Krista,
I agree entirely with your post, and did not mean to imply that progress
was linear. My simplification of the ages of medicine was in the interest
of brevity rather than complete accuracy.
I find your question about what Supernaturalism provides us that science
does not very interesting. It occurs to me that the human tendency toward
creative behavior has something to do with our fascination with fanciful
explanations. Perhaps we need teachers of science who can capture our
imagination like the late Carl Sagan. People like this are rare, but
they're out there and should be funded and encouraged to publish. In my own
experience, creative activity of many sorts is markedly therapeutic but
this is not ordinarily recognized by the physical therapy community.
Recognizing this and combining it with the massive ignorance you mention,
con men see an opportunity and will always take the advantage. Our only
recourse is education and vigilance. It's the lack of open outrage against
the situation that confounds me, and the only explanations I've come up
with are the influence of postmodern thought and a misapplication of
cultural relativism. I've written about this on my web site. Comments are
always welcome.
Barrett L. Dorko, P.T.
"The Clinician's Manual" <http://barrettdorko.com>
Also at <http://rehabedge.com>
And <http://prorehabonline.com>
And <http://physicaltherapist.com>
And <http://rehabmax.com>
|