The Anthropological Challenge of Pain

Abstract

Today marks the inauguration of the first symposium of the newly founded Academia Eurasiana Neurochirurgica. The name is revealing and it shows what your intentions are. Independently of the International Society of Neurosurgery this new association has set itself the objective on the one hand of combining purely medical and somatic aspects with an anthropological and holistic approach, and on the other hand of attempting to accomplish this by a blend of European and Asian thinking. This objective is in itself of quite exceptional importance, but—we should be under no illusions about this—the accomplishment of this objective is no less difficult. Anyone with experience in this field knows that a dialogue between arts and sciences is by no means simple even within the same culture; the difficulties become that much greater when a dialogue is being attempted across cultural and religious boundaries.