Technology in medicine: ontology, epistemology, ethics and social philosophy at the crossroads.

In reference to the different approaches in philosophy (of medicine) of the nature of (medical) technology, this article introduces the topic of this special issue of Theoretical Medicine and Bioethics, that is, the way the different forms of medical technology function in everyday medical practice. The authors elaborate on the active role technology plays in shaping our views on disease, illness, and the body, whence in shaping our world.