Science Of Unitary Human Beings Research Articles

Philosophical sources of nursing theory.

This article analyzes the philosophical roots of four contemporary nursing theories, Rogers' science of unitary human beings, Newman's theory of expanding consciousness, Watson's theory of caring, and Parse's theory of man-living-health. It is shown that these theories share many common philosophical views, but also maintain some significant differences. With the purpose of contributing to the development of a single metaparadigm for nursing, the following commonly shared themes are identified as forming an appropriate philosophical foundation for the discipline: process, evolution of consciousness, self-transcendence, open systems, harmony, relativity of space-time, pattern, and holism. Views of causality show some divergence between Watson and the other three theorists. Also of particular interest is the finding that Eastern philoso phy has provided an important influence, both direct and indirect, on nursing theory. It is recommended that further philosophical exploration of Indian and Chinese world views be conducted and that the above metaparadigmatic themes be more fully developed in future nursing theory development.

Book reviews

Book reviewed in this article:Healthy Respect: Ethics in Health Care by R. S. Downie & K. C. CaimanPain: An Exploration by Norman Autton. Darton, Longman & ToddExplorations on Martha Rogers’ Science of Unitary Human Beings by V. M. MalinskiThe Curriculum in Nursing Education edited by P. Allan & M. JolleyTeaching Clinical Nursing 2nd edn edited by Susan M. HinchliffResearch in Preventive Community Nursing Care. Eifteen Studies in Health Visiting, edited by Alison While

H-E-A-L-T-H: A Rogerian Perspective

Nursing has evolved from a vocation governed by traditions into an academic and practice-oriented profession. As an existential discipline, nursing will continue to change as knowledge advances. The Science of Unitary Human Beings as postulated by Martha E. Rogers, Sc.D., offers the potential for nursing to develop theories and techniques that are appropriate for a different model of nuring in a rapidly changing world. Because of the high level of abstraction of the concepts and principles of the Rogerian Conceptual System, phenomena central to nursing need to be re-interpreted according to its world-view. In this paper, several variables involved in healing are described from a three-dimensional framework and re-interpreted four-dimensionally, as an illustration of a process for developing practice strategies for the future consistent with the Science of Unitary Human Beings.

Philosophical issues in the Rogerian science of unitary human beings

In the Rogerian science of unitary human beings, the requirements for meaning and evidence are problematic. Four-dimensionality, a major building block, is postulated to be nonspatiotemporal, nonlinear, and not predictable through knowledge of the parts. A problem arises primarily because the Rogerian system also presents "verification of concepts" as the means of testing "fit" with the real world. Evidence usually understood in the criterion of verifiability in the logical empiricist tradition is specifiable through physicalistic terms under particular three-dimensional conditions. What are the consequences if integral (phenomenologic) evidence is taken as the criterion of meaning in the Rogerian conceptual system?