Epistemological issues in understanding of idiopathic diseases

Idiopathic diseases hold particular interest for biology and medicine due to the lack of reliable knowledge regarding their etiological factors. Challenges in their classification and treatment highlight the need to reconsider the fundamental principles of their study. Therefore, in this work, we focus on the philosophical and historical rethinking of the concept of idiopathic disease as such. In particular, we examined the foundational principles of studying such diseases from the perspectives of epistemology and the philosophy of science, and for the first time, we provide a comprehensive analysis of the prototyping method and justify its application in biological and medical contexts. We analyzed the historical dynamics of the concept of the prototype from its inception to the present day. Using Parkinson’s disease as an example, we demonstrated how the prototypical approach can be utilized in everyday clinical practice, as well as in the organization and conduct of laboratory experiments with model organisms. The historical development of concepts related to Parkinson’s disease, as a typical idiopathic disease, was also presented. The content and scope of prototypical and stereotypical concepts were studied in detail. This work aims to deepen our understanding of idiopathic diseases and improve the methodology of clinical and experimental research