 The question is interwoven with more general issues in philosophy and its answer directly forces a choice between a more positivistic or a more hermeneutical approach to philosophy, with consequences for theory of knowledge, metaphysics, aesthetics and ethics. It also effects direct practical decisions we take on a daily basis. Should the actions of a medical doctor be guided by evidence based medicine or by the notion of caritas? Is a patient a conscious human being that wants to lead a meaningful life, or is he ultimately just a system that needs to be repaired? 