On Medicine As Colonialism

Description

On Medicine As Colonialism offers a powerful and thought-provoking exploration of the ways medicine has functioned not only as a healing practice but also as an instrument of colonial authority. Through historical analysis, critical theory, and ethical inquiry, the book reveals how medical systems were imposed to control bodies, reshape cultures, and legitimize colonial rule.

The text interrogates Western biomedical dominance, highlighting how indigenous knowledge systems were marginalized, pathologized, or erased in the name of “progress” and “public health.” It examines medical institutions, research practices, and policies that reinforced racial hierarchies and economic exploitation, while questioning whose knowledge counts as legitimate medicine.

Essential reading for scholars, students, and practitioners in medicine, public health, history, anthropology, and postcolonial studies, On Medicine As Colonialism encourages readers to rethink healthcare through the lenses of power, ethics, and justice. The book ultimately calls for decolonizing medical knowledge and practice to build more equitable and culturally respectful systems of care.