ABSTRACT
Most Westerners would find it extremely dangerous if people were to prefer inner science to outer science when dealing with human suffering. This chapter discusses a number of modern myths, namely the myth of controllability, the myth of specific remedies, the myth of dependence on experts and the myth of freedom from values. The controlability refers the approach to suffering according to the method of outer science seems to be superior to that of inner science, for it has achieved impressive results and contributed to many effective treatments for serious forms of suffering. The wish to find medication for every ailment and a specific remedy for every discomfort seems closely connected to the high demands people make on their quality of life and the associated expectations they have of modern science. The more ambitious people become in striving for control over more and more forms of suffering, the more dependent they become on health care professionals.
