Medical Manichaeism

Medical discourse in the contemporary U nited S tates is rife with military metaphors. These metaphors have come under vigorous criticism over the last few decades but to no avail; the militaristic tendency has proven tenacious. This essay suggests that its tenacity stems, at least in part, from a dualistic understanding of medicine unaddressed by prior criticisms. For an alternative, this essay turns to A ugustine of H ippo, balancing close readings of works that deal explicitly with medical themes— The Catholic Way of Life and the M anichean Way of Life (De moribus ) and The Nature of the Good (De natura boni )—with a constructive approach. By adapting A ugustine's privative account of evil, we can understand disease as a condition of loss and treatment as a task of restoration. This reconfiguration shifts the focus of our interpretive discourses from malicious invaders to a fuller affirmation of the lived experiences of those who are ill.