Medycyna w demokracji kapitalistycznej

The aim of this article is to show the effect that capitalist democracies have on modern medicine and its social perception. Capitalist democracy is a leading concept used here to draw attention to a number of phenomena and problems resulting from the fact that medical activity in a large part of our world is conducted in democratic and capitalist conditions. The author refers to the actor-network theory as a general theoretical background and points out that medicine is not an autonomous sphere in modern societies but a part of an intricate network of connections that determine its shape. The examples discussed in the text include anti-vaccine movements, commercialisation of medical services and the debate on health care in the United States.