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This book is the first introduction into anthroposophy and anthroposophical medicine on the basis of epistemology, physics, chemistry, molecular biology, neurobiology, psychology, philosophy of mind, history of science, and evidence based medicine. Justification of a non-reductionist, academic anthropology and medical practice accounting for body, life, soul, and spirit.

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This book is the first thorough introduction into the scientific basis of anthroposophy and anthroposophical medicine in the context of academic science. On a sound epistemological basis and in the context of current debates it analyses basic concepts of physics, chemistry, genetics, morphogenesis, biology, neurobiology, psychology, and philosophy of mind, with an emphasis on the problems of life, mind-body interactions, and free will. The result is a non-reductionistic anthropology acknowledging the emergent properties of body, life, soul, and spirit as equally real entities. This concurs with the basic concepts of anthroposophy and anthroposophical medicine, the justification of which is discussed in relation to the history and methodology of science as well as evidence based medicine.

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Contents: Truth and reality - Ontological idealism and emergence - Self-organisation and causality in physics, chemistry, biology, neurobiology, psychology, philosophy of mind - Body, life, soul, spirit as real entities - Anthroposophy as an empirical spiritual science - Its relation to natural science and academic medicine.

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"Das Werk besticht in seiner stringenten Gedankenführung, in seinen gut erarbeiteten Argumentation, in seiner strengen und differenzierten Begrifflichkeit sowie in seinen Anknüpfungen an moderne Forschungen aus den Naturwissenschaften."
(Renatus Ziegler, dieDrei Zeitschrift für Anthroposophie in Wissenschaft, Kunst und sozialem Leben, Mai 2017)

"In summary, this book offers both an excellent review of the historical development of the scientific method in biology and medicine and a constructive critique of the same. [...] It will serve as a valuable resource to all who are interested in epistemological and ethical questions in medicine and its organic development into the future."BR (Branko Furst, Chanticleer Volume 27, Issue 6, 2017)

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Peter Heusser is a medical doctor with a comprehensive experience in practicing, teaching and research in anthroposophical medicine, first at the University of Bern and in Swiss national research projects. He is now Professor for the Theory of Medicine, Integrative and Anthroposophical Medicine, and Head of the Institute for Integrative Medicine at Witten/Herdecke University, Germany.

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