Antonio Rosmini and the Founding Principles of the Medical Art

Abstract

Rosmini was convinced that truth resides in human intelligence; therefore, the human mind is enabled to synthesize the complexity of different sciences. Medicine was to be explored under the physiological aspect, but the psychological enquiry should be recognized as of primary importance. Medical therapy requires also experimental science in order to verify the true setting of new inventions. His proposal was to implement and develop a medical college comprehensive of a hospital, academic studies and a Forum for publishing the results of medical research and new inventions; but his effort was cut off by the Roman Curia. The endeavour of Rosmini was to bring together in medicine both physiology and psychology, as parts of the same scientific pattern in facing disease and illness: for Rosmini a human being is one, a unity of body and soul, and therefore both sciences are one. Rosmini elaborates a concept of psychological human integrity which is based on the ontological synthesism of soul-body; as a consequence, a basic knowledge of anthropology is necessary for a good development and improvement of the medical art.