On the Art of Teaching Medicine: Galen as Physician, Philosopher, and

Galen of Pergamum was a physician working in the Emperor Marcus Aurelius's court in Rome from 166 AD and continued working under Aurelius's successors until his death in approximately 200 AD. His work regarding anatomy and physiology was prolific and well ahead of its time; his medical treatises were still regularly taught and followed up until the eighteenth century. Galen's teachings sparked a return to the Hippocratic medical philosophies, though these were substantially altered and expanded upon within Galen's career. In addition to his expansive research into the anatomy and physiology of living organisms, he wrote often about the philosophy and ethics of medicine and surgery, and wrote several teaching treatises, likely for his friends, colleagues, and students. These teaching treatises are a starting point to begin to understand the intersection of medical science and philosophy. It can be asserted, indeed, that Galen's teaching sparked the transition between medicine as an art and philosophy and medicine as a science.