Swampman goes to the doctor

Abstract

In this paper, we explore whether a living being can have a medical disorder purely in virtue of its current structure, or whether its historical origins are also relevant. We do so by presenting two dialogues based on the Swampman thought experiment. These dialogues bring out two key points. First, although evolutionary history plays a central role in theoretical accounts of disorder, its relevance is less obvious in everyday medical practice. Second, there may be an asymmetry between somatic and mental disorders: somatic disorders are typically identified by biological dysfunction, while many paradigmatic mental disorders appear to involve violations of rationality. Nevertheless, we suggest that dysfunctions - and thereby historical considerations - still play a role in distinguishing normal from pathological irrationality. Rather than introducing a new theory, this paper tests existing accounts of function and disorder by applying them to an extreme but instructive case.