Womb as Paradise Lost

Womb as Paradise Lost – Foetal Programming
Thetic Part – Medical power in a narcissistic culture
213
Chapter 12 - Medical power and sociomedical
ethics
12.1 Some representative historical lines
I
n the sixties of the last century the Dutch prof. Dr. Jan Hendrik van den
Berg, neurologist/psychiatrist in Leiden made a furore with his metabletica,
the cultural doctrine of synchronous events within the European culture. His
homonymous book, and many other’s published by him, found their way around
all around the globe in many translations. Van den Berg was also called one of
the most translated Dutch writers. His political right-wing idea’s - almost reactionary
views on the equality of the human race and society - made him controversial
for scientists and non-scientists as well.
After his period as a neurologist-psychiatrist, he held a chair at the University of
Utrecht (Pastoral Psychology, 1951) and lateron in Leiden (Phenomenological
methods and Conflict Psychology, 1954). His work will be discussed here in general
terms because of the interesting of his cultural methodology and his spectacular
vision on medical ethics in his old days.
12.2 Medical power and medical ethics
In 1969 he published his book "Medical power and medical ethics." The rapid
and technological advances in the medical community opened for the medical
specialists many new treatment options. But his developments also gave the necessary
ethical problems. Should be the medical power, relied upon medical expectations,
put an end to a new, a maimed life which is hardly being a dignified