The Birth of the Clinic

"The Birth of the Clinic," by Michel Foucault, examines how modern medicine shifted from a focus on understanding the body through classical eras to a more institutional and systematic approach in hospitals and clinics. Foucault argues that during this period (mainly 18th and 19th centuries), medical knowledge became more organized, standardized, and linked to specific locations where patients received diagnoses and treatment. This change transformed medicine into a discipline focused on observation, categorization, and scientific methods, shaping the way healthcare is practiced today. Essentially, it marks the emergence of the hospital as a central space for medical knowledge and treatment.