Paracelsus’ 16 th Century Philosophy Applied to Current Evolutionary Genetics

Abstract

Paracelsus contributed greatly to medical philosophy in the early sixteenth century, yet his reputation was so tainted by his hypocrisy that he left few followers and is often forgotten. Many aspects of his teachings, however, can be applied to current theories governing evolutionary genetic research. His claim, “Where diseases arise, one can also find the roots of health” hints at the intimate relationships between health and disease that are the foundations of fascinating research. In many devastating medical cases, it has been found that expression of one genetic disease can confer resistance for another. Sickle­cell anemia sufferers have an increased resistance to malaria, cystic fibrosis is associated with decreased susceptibility to influenza, tuberculosis and cholera, and even the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV­1) is theorized to have stemmed from a selection for resistance to the Bubonic Plague. These examples demonstrate the ambiguities in distinguishing between health and disease. While scientists today would likely scoff at Paracelsus’ dated medical rants, when they discover a disease favoured by natural selection, one of the first questions is how it could have conferred a benefit ancestrally. Applying Paracelsus’ theories to a discipline as contrary to evolutionary genetics demonstrates both the robustness of his claims, and the potential impact philosophy can have on medical, scientific and sociological questions surrounding challenging epidemics