Analogies, Conventions and Expert Systems in Medicine: Some insights from a XIX century physiologist In Laura McNamara (ed.) Multidisciplinary Approaches to Theory in Medicine, Volume 3, Chapter VIII, pp. 131-145. Amsterdam, Elsevier 2005.
Abstract
Johannes von Kries, a XIX century physiologist and logician, stressed that defining "events" out of qualitatively different instances implies a subjective evaluation of similarity. For instance, evaluating the effectiveness of new drugs implies a subjective evaluation of similarity between the symptioms and reactions of different patients. This circumstance causes certain logical difficulties from which modern expert systems are not immune.