ABSTRACT
In this first part of the book, we examine the historical background that sets the stage for the place of narrative in the theory and practice of medicine. We travel back to the seventeenth century to rehearse the importance of Enlightenment thinking for the evolution of science, and then move gingerly through the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries to inspect the movement of science into the education of health care practitioners and their resulting practice. We then describe what many have referred to as a narrative turn in several disciplines and professions. This leads us to a discussion of the place of story in current models of the patient–practitioner relationship. These initial chapters contain the most abstract and theoretical material of the book. One could access other parts and chapters of the book without considering this material and still understand the content. However, we encourage readers to consider the arguments of Part 1 so that they can apply the content of the remaining chapters to their practice in an informed way, rather than as simply another “technology” for practice.12
