The European Union project titled ‘Fiction, Science, and Science-Fiction’ is focussed on the role of fiction in public debates on medical ethical issues and in the medical education. Its central theme is the role of novels, movies and plays in making people think about medical ethical issues. We have chosen a wide approach varying from classical literature to e.g. medical thrillers and science fiction literature.

Objectives

• To analyse the role of fiction in public debates and in medical education.
• To provide a guide in the form of an annotated reader.
• To set up a website, including a thematic database in the form of an annotated list of fiction, that can be used for teaching purposes or consulted for public debates.
• To set up a wider network and facilitate a newsletter and an e-group to communicate, exchange experiences and disseminate results and materials.

Five subject areas

• Artificial reproductive techniques
• Death and dying and the role of the doctor
• Dementia
• Predictive medicine
• The doctor-patient relationship

Formal participants of the project are:

Prof. Dieter Birnbacher (D)
Prof. John Harris (UK)
Dr. Soren Holm (UK)
Dr. Per Jersild (SE)
Dr. Linda Nielsen (DK)
Prof. Inez de Beaufort (NL) is coordinating the project.

New initiative from the USA

In the United States of America an interesting new programme started recently, entitled ‘Genetics in Literature, Film, and Popular Culture.’
Prof. Jay Clayton (Nashville, TN), and prof. Priscilla Wald (Duke University, Durham, NC) are coordinating the programme. The specific aims … Read On

A personal Top 5

What books would improve a young doctor’s ethical awareness?
We asked Bert Keizer (doctor, novelist and philosopher) for his personal top 5 of literary fiction. Who wants to be next to present us his of her personal choice?
… Read On

Workshop in Cagliari

The papers presented at our workshop in Cagliari are published on our website (see ‘papers’). Please pay special attention to a new paper, written by Per Jersild on ‘The Use and Abuse of Mental Illness in … Read On

Lightness and moral values in Anorexia Nervosa

by: Simona Giordano
According to the ICD-10, the central feature of anorexia nervosa is “deliberate weight loss”. In other terms, anorexia is a deliberate pursuit of lightness. The person pursues lightness with different methods: mainly by control of food intake and by compensatory practices – vomiting, exercise, use of diuretics and laxatives.