JNSS 2016, 7(1-2):64-74 | DOI: 10.32725/jnss.2016.006

Death as a theme of the history of medicine

Václav Grubhoffer
University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice, Faculty of Philosophy, České Budějovice, Czech Republic

Death is very much an interdisciplinary subject that arouses research interest in natural sciences as well as the humanities. Within European historiography it has become a traditional area of research. The cultural history of death is usually understood as a kind of laboratory for understanding the lifestyle and mentality of representatives of a selected historical epoch. Death in this context is seen as a cultural and culture-forming phenomenon. The history of medicine plays an exceptional role in historical science; by definition it stands on the boundary of the humanities and sciences. In recent times we have provided a number of theoretical and methodological basis for the study of death and dying from an interdisciplinary perspective.

Keywords: history of medicine; dying; death; historiography; enlightenment
Grants and funding:

This paper is part of my postdoctoral research project GAČR 14-21114P/P410 Medicalization of Death. Apparent Death and Medical Attitudes towards the Apparently Dead in the Czech Lands (1780-1850).

Received: January 15, 2016; Accepted: May 3, 2016; Published: March 1, 2016  Show citation

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Grubhoffer V. Death as a theme of the history of medicine. Journal of Nursing, Social Studies, Public Health and Rehabilitation. 2016;7(1-2):64-74. doi: 10.32725/jnss.2016.006.
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