Some notes on conception of «truth» in the Corpus Hippocraticum: between philosophy and medical art
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.25145/j.fortunat.2026.43.07Keywords:
Hippocrates, philosophy, medicine, pre-Socratics, trueAbstract
The interplay between philosophy and medicine constitutes a recurring theme throughout the Corpus Hippocraticum. Within this collection, the concept of truth frequently emerges as a criterion for articulating and defining the fundamental notions that shape both fields and their underlying relationship. This paper examines the conception of «truth» in the Corpus, situating it at the intersection of medical praxis and the philosophical reflection of the Archaic and Classical periods. The study first addresses the theoretical tensions between these two disciplines to delineate the historical context of intellectual dispute. Subsequently, it analyzes various manifestations of «the truth» within the Hippocratic treatises across ontological, discursive, and methodological dimensions. Finally, the analysis identifies the philosophical assumptions underpinning the theoretical framework of the Hippocratic conception of truth, establishing this notion as the articulating axis for the postulates of both Hippocratic medicine and philosophy.
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