Dr. Joseph Keating believes chiropractic's greatest need is the resolution of its ______ differences.

Dr. Joseph Keating believes chiropractic's greatest need is the resolution of its ______ differences.

• A. Epistemological
• B. Etiological
• C. Metaphysical
• D. Methodological

Answer: (A)

The focus here is on how we know what we claim to know—epistemology. Epistemology is the study of justification, evidence, and the foundations of knowledge. In chiropractic, big disagreements have centered on what counts as valid knowledge about how and why chiropractic works, what evidence supports its practices, and how claims should be tested or validated. Why this is the best fit: if the profession can agree on a shared way of knowing—what counts as good evidence, what methods properly support a claim, and how to interpret outcomes—then the rest of the disagreements begin to resolve themselves. Etiological theories (what causes disease) depend on a certain kind of knowledge; metaphysical beliefs (the nature of reality or vitalistic principles) are philosophical assumptions that also rest on underlying epistemology; and methodological debates (how to study and measure outcomes) presuppose a common standard of justification. Without a common epistemology, debates about causes, beliefs, or research methods can’t be meaningfully reconciled. Therefore, resolving epistemological differences addresses the root of how the profession justifies its ideas and practices, making it the greatest need.

The focus here is on how we know what we claim to know—epistemology. Epistemology is the study of justification, evidence, and the foundations of knowledge. In chiropractic, big disagreements have centered on what counts as valid knowledge about how and why chiropractic works, what evidence supports its practices, and how claims should be tested or validated.

Why this is the best fit: if the profession can agree on a shared way of knowing—what counts as good evidence, what methods properly support a claim, and how to interpret outcomes—then the rest of the disagreements begin to resolve themselves. Etiological theories (what causes disease) depend on a certain kind of knowledge; metaphysical beliefs (the nature of reality or vitalistic principles) are philosophical assumptions that also rest on underlying epistemology; and methodological debates (how to study and measure outcomes) presuppose a common standard of justification. Without a common epistemology, debates about causes, beliefs, or research methods can’t be meaningfully reconciled. Therefore, resolving epistemological differences addresses the root of how the profession justifies its ideas and practices, making it the greatest need.