Episode 10: The Doctor as a Humanist

Guest: Jonathan McFarland

Spotify Audio: t.ly/6BHxl

YouTube Video: t.ly/yISVN

Dave Kopacz & Chris Smith are joined founder and president of The Doctor as a Humanist – Jonathan McFarland. Chris joins us from a visit to the Driftless Area of Wisconsin (which Jonathan uses as a metaphor for a sense of loss of humanity in contemporary society – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Driftless_Area), Dave speaks from his home in Seattle, and Jonathan joins from Mallorca, Spain.

Jonathan gives a brief history of himself as a human being, growing up in Liverpool, UK, surrounded by medicine and the arts. He describes how when his father, a surgeon, had a heart attack and was in the hospital, he had the idea of starting The Doctor as a Humanist (DASH). Jonathan has reached hundreds and thousands of students, educators, doctors, and other health care professionals through DASH. Jonathan clarifies that when he speaks of “doctors,” he means that broadly, to include all in health care – as doctor comes from the root docere, to teach.

We talk about what it means to be a humanist and why medicine needs re-humanizing. We jokingly define a humanist as someone who can’t answer a yes or no question without offering a quote from the arts or literature. They also speak of the possibility that when one is speaking of numbers and quantitative paradigms – the human is not present. Being a Humanist (and Becoming a True Human) are about values, compassion, and interpersonal connection.

Jonathan offers a definition of a humanist, “someone who cares about what is happening in the world around them and cares about the cultures” and the Earth. He touches upon the meanings of dignity and responsibility.

Jonathan mentions a book by Robert McFarlane, The Gift, which is “about the importance of giving books to others.”

We speak of and quote: John Berger, Bob Dylan, Martin Buber, Philip K. Dick, the Greek philosophers, Descartes, Spinoza, Gavin Francis, and many others.

Chris offers the quote from Buber, “All real living is meeting,” which feels like a good description of this incredible meeting between the three speakers today.

The Doctor as a Humanist website will soon be revised, but here is the current site: https://doctorasahumanist.weebly.com/

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

Chris Smith has a recent publication in Pulse, “Medicine Without a Bottle”  https://pulsevoices.org/stories/medicine-without-a-bottle/

Dave Kopacz and Joseph Rael (Beautiful Painted Arrow) have a publication in About Place Journal, “My Collaboration with Joseph Rael (Beautiful Painted Arrow)” https://aboutplacejournal.org/issues/careful-care-full-collaboration/possibilities/david-r-kopacz-m-d-joseph-rael-beautiful-painted-arrow/

Dave was also interviewed by Claudiu Murgan on the Spiritually Inspired podcast: https://claudiumurgan.com/

Dave’s most recent book, Caring for Self & Others: Transforming Burnout, Compassion Fatigue & Soul Loss just won a Nautilus Gold Medal book Award: https://www.nautilusbookawards.com/2025-winners-11-20

Spotify Audio: t.ly/6BHxl

YouTube Video: t.ly/yISVN