Paradoxes of Holism: Some Problems in Developing an Antioppressive Medical Practice

Abstract

Starting from the observation that many unconventional health practices can be characterized as reactions against biomedicine’s dualistic logic, this article analyses the claim that ‘holistic’ medicine tends to be socially and politically progressive. After using feminist theory to argue that conceptual dualism is inherently associated with social oppression, I note several recent challenges to the dualism which has been implicit within biomedical practice. Three patterns for ‘holistic’ medicine are then described; each of these patterns is analysed in relation to the problems of conceptual dualism and of clinical medicine’s capacity to reinforce social power. These forms of medicine, I argue, are only partially successful in addressing the problems associated with the development of an anti-oppressive medical practice. In each case, dualistic divisions tend to shift position or to change shape, rather than to disappear entirely.