Philosophical Hermeneutics and Teaching Through Behandlung: The Treatment and Handling of Patients With Care

The purpose of this Feature article is to share a teaching approach for academic researchers and clinicians about the treatment of patients beyond their biomedical needs. To achieve this objective, we will delve into the writings of H-G Gadamer which offer a relational approach to the healing process through the exploration of how the German word Behandlung applies to medical and dental education. Through conversational philosophical hermeneutics, Gadamer endeavors to unite the consciousness of one subject with that of the others and refers to the process as appropriation whereby the researcher/clinician is working toward understanding the experience of the individual within the context of a community of patient experiences.