The Hostile Hospital: Exploring Hospitality, Violence, and the Doctor-Patient Relationship

Lévinas and Derrida speak of the ontological context of human relationships in the context of the absolute priority of the Other and the unconditional law of hospitality. This has direct implications for doctor-patient relationships in the context of health care. This paper explores these philosophical and practical implications in light of a paradox that exists in all hospitality: that hostility is inevitably intertwined with hospitality. The paper explores three ways hostility can present in doctor-patient relationships: in physical violence, through paternalism, and through the violence of categorisation. While acknowledging the paradox, and the complexity of solutions, the paper considers ways to minimize this hostility. In so doing, it encourages HCPs to overcome whatever is possible so as to do the impossible: provide unconditional hospitality.