In this blog post, we will look at whether modern medicine is causing energy waste and social chaos, or whether it is contributing to extending life and restoring order.
Humans have long dreamed of a device that can run permanently without the need for energy input. If such a device could be invented, it would solve the long-standing energy problem of humanity. However, no permanent engine has ever been invented. This is because it goes against a scientific principle called the law of entropy. Entropy is an indicator of the disorder of matter and energy, and according to the law of entropy, all matter and energy change only from a useful state to a useless state, and from an orderly state to a disordered state.
Jeremy Rifkin, a world-renowned American economist, applies these scientific principles to society. He argues that, over the past 200 years, society has become more chaotic and disordered rather than developing with the advancement of science and technology. He even mentions that modern medicine is a factor that unnecessarily increases entropy. So, does modern medicine really consume energy unnecessarily and increase social disorder? And does humanity have to stop further medical development and return to the medical methods of the past? I don’t think so.
First, modern medicine has dramatically increased the average human lifespan. In Korea, there is a slightly unique birthday custom called “hwan-gap.” In the Joseon Dynasty, when the average life expectancy was less than 40 years, reaching the age of 60 was a great occasion, and people celebrated with food from the mountains and the sea and silk clothes. However, today, the scale of hwan-gap celebrations has shrunk to the point where they are celebrated modestly by families. This is because the average life expectancy has increased significantly, and now 60 years is no longer considered to be a long life. According to the National Statistical Portal, the average life expectancy of Koreans increased from 65.5 years in 1970 to 81.94 years in 2013. In other words, Koreans have gained 15 years in just over 30 years. This increase in life expectancy has allowed people to feel a certain degree of psychological stability by alleviating their anxiety about death.
Some argue that modern medicine has contributed little to the increase in average life expectancy. They say that improved hygiene and nutrition are the main factors. However, research shows that the greatest impact on the increase in the average life expectancy of Koreans has been the reduction in the mortality rate from tuberculosis among young and middle-aged people due to the development of modern medicine. Thanks to the tuberculosis vaccination, the number of tuberculosis patients has decreased, and thanks to effective anti-tuberculosis drugs, tuberculosis treatment has become easier. In the past, tuberculosis could only be treated in a primitive way, such as by breathing in clean air, but today it can be cured with medication alone. It is clear that both these vaccinations and medications are the achievements of modern medicine, and that the average life expectancy has increased.
As can be seen from the fact that the average life expectancy of the kings of the Joseon Dynasty was only 46 years, improving hygiene and nutrition alone cannot fully explain the increase in life expectancy. Not only did the study show an increase in life expectancy, but it also showed an increase in healthy life expectancy, which is the number of years lived in good health, excluding the years lived in ill health or injury. Healthy life expectancy increased from 71 years in 2007 to 73 years in 2012, indicating that the advancement of modern medicine has made a significant contribution to the increase in life expectancy.
Second, thanks to the development of modern medicine, the suffering from diseases has been greatly reduced. Let’s take the case of Hansen’s disease. Hansen’s disease is a chronic infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium leprae, and has been considered a disease of evil since ancient times due to the loss of eyebrows and damage to the skin and muscles. Hansen’s disease patients were called lepers and were socially ostracized, and were isolated on Sorok Island, losing their lives as human beings. Hansen’s disease patients had to endure not only physical pain but also psychological pain. However, today, Hansen’s disease can be detected early and most cases can be cured using a treatment called rifampicin. This treatment is possible thanks to the development of modern medicine, which has also reduced the misunderstanding and prejudice surrounding Hansen’s disease, creating an environment where patients can lead normal social lives. In this way, modern medicine has not only reduced physical suffering caused by disease, but has also contributed to reducing social disorder and chaos.
On the other hand, some argue that modern medicine has done little to reduce deaths from major diseases. The disappearance of the 11 major epidemics in the United States occurred before the introduction of medical treatment, and is attributed to improved sanitation. However, this data was collected in 1980, before the development of advanced medical technology, and is insufficient to compare with modern medicine. Moreover, even if not all diseases are life-threatening, modern medicine is alleviating the pain of everyday diseases. This can be easily seen in the very basic case of people visiting the hospital when they are sick.
Modern medicine has also greatly helped overcome congenital or acquired disabilities and has become an indispensable part of today’s society. The development of medicine has reduced people’s physical and mental pain, and as a result, social disorder and chaos have decreased. If we stop medical development and return to the way things were in the past, it would be tantamount to inviting social chaos and disorder.
Some critics argue that the medical industry is overloaded with energy and resources, which increases entropy. They say that the excessive use of advanced diagnostic and treatment devices is driving up medical costs per patient. However, the introduction of new technologies is inevitably accompanied by a temporary increase in costs, and medical progress continues because the benefits outweigh the costs. This argument is not valid in developed countries with a medical insurance system. This is because modern medicine is guaranteed as welfare at the national level, and a system is in place to ensure that the people can enjoy the benefits.
Some critics point out that “illness caused by treatment” is also a problem of modern medicine. For example, unnecessary surgery or prescription of medicine creates new problems for patients. However, this is an ethical issue for medical professionals, and in modern society, patients can share information with each other and check on doctors through Internet communities and social media. Excessive medical care can also be reported to the health center in the hospital’s location. This has created an environment in which doctors have no choice but to treat patients with care.
Contrary to criticism, modern medicine has a positive function and must continue to develop. There are claims that modern medicine consumes energy and increases entropy, but this only shows that modern medicine occupies an important position. On the contrary, if modern medicine did not exist, there would be even greater chaos and disorder. Therefore, instead of worrying about the entropy generated by modern medicine, it is wiser to find ways to ensure that many people can enjoy the benefits of medical care.
