Myśl etyczno-medyczna Władysława Biegańskiego (1857-1917)
Ethical-medical reflections of Wladyslaw Bieganski (1857−1917)

Summary/Abstract: Wladyslaw Bieganski was one of the most famous philosophers of medicine in Polish history, living at the turn of the 19th and 20th century. In his numerous works he considered, among others, the place of ethics and philosophy in a doctor’s work. He stressed that medical art constitutes of actual and ethical parts, with the first one being conditioned by the development of empirical knowledge, while the ethical part is not directly connected to science and thought, but with feelings that rule the world and with general ethical ideals of humanity. According to Bieganski, the attempts to put ethical rules, which should be in effect in the medical profession, into codes and regulations will remain ineffective as long as they are not established in the internal feeling of morality of the representatives of the medical profession. He called for the reform of the medical teaching system in a way that it would not only grant scientific knowledge but also shape the ability of a holistic approach to the patient, requiring the development of a sense of duty, compassion and respect for another person, which should be done not with words but by setting an example, as one should always demand the most of oneself. Good doctors are not those who only heal physical ailments, but those who “do not lose patience and calm in long suffering and desperate cases and [are] able to inspire the patient and his family with confidence”. Postulated by Bieganski, the pattern of doctor-philanthropist and the set of his typical virtues is close to the model of trustworthy carer presented by Tadeusz Kotarbinski. Despite the passage of time, Bieganski’s thoughts on ethical culture of doctors seems not to have lost its relevance; on the contrary – it is growing, emphasizing the humane dimension of medicine, which unfortunately more and more often is lost in the age of developing consumerism – and hence always remains an ideal to which it belongs, seeks and promotes well today, especially in the circles of the healthcare community.

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