オリヴァー・サックス—神経学と文学の融合

Oliver Sacks: The Fusion of Neurology and Literature

オリヴァー・サックスは，神経学と文学の境界を超越し，世界中の人々に脳と心の神秘と，人間の存在の奥深さを伝えた。彼は，神経学のみならず，生物学，歴史，人文学，芸術にも精通しており，20世紀を代表する「polymath」の1人である。彼の著作は，さまざまな神経疾患の症例を，医学的な厳密さと文学的な共感をもって描き出し，彼らを単なる「疾患の症例報告」ではなく，「物語を持つ1人の人間」として捉え，臨床神経学と文学の融合という新たな道を切り開き，「narrative medicine」の先駆者と言える。

Abstract

Oliver Sacks transcended the boundaries between neurology and literature, conveying the mysteries of the brain and mind, and the profound depths of human existence to people worldwide. He was not only an expert in neurology but also well-versed in biology, history, the humanities, and the arts; thus, he was one of the defining “polymaths” of the 20th century. His writings depicted various neurological disorders with medical rigor and literary empathy, viewing patients, not merely as “case reports”, but as “individuals with stories”. He pioneered a new path by merging clinical neurology with literature, as such, he was a forerunner of “narrative medicine”.