Resumen de “The Little” Prince and Medicine of the Invisible: relationship, organization and prevention
Massimiliano Colucci, Renzo Pegoraro
In this article, we attempt to analyze four bioethical topics through the eyes of the Little Prince: the end of life context, the patient- physician relationship, the ethics of the organization and preven- tion/precaution. We will approach this from a perspective that we have termed “Medicine of the Invisible”, which is focused on va- lues. The Little Prince suggests we seek the invisible as a new type of “clinical data” that can help transform healthcare interven- tion into something more ethical and effective. The invisible –whi- ch is the “important thing”, the “serious thing”, even at the gnostic and epistemological level– is only attainable within a relationship.
Therefore, the doctor needs to be “tamed” by the patient, and the patient by the doctor -–each one taking responsibility for the other, each one growing into himself through dialogue with the other. But responsibility also means paying attention to the future; guarding against life threats that are still unknown. In fact, the Little Prince teaches us that owning a part of the world–“useful possession” –implies the ethical imperative to act, in order to safeguard life.
But without a concrete relationship– imbued with lived time, sha- red experiences, and individual uniqueness no meaning or value can be derived. For this reason, Medicine of the Invisible points out to Bioethics that “what is important is the unseen”.
