THE PERSON-CENTERED CLINICAL METHOD IN LIGHT OF DELEUZE-GUATTARIAN PHILOSOPHY OF DIFFERENCE

Abstract

This paper focuses on the Person-Centered Clinical Method and the Philosophy of Difference developed by Gilles Deleuze and Félix Guattari. It aims to establish theoretical and reflective connections between these two fields of knowledge in order to broaden the understanding of human subjectivity in the process of illness, considering biological, psychological, and social processes, while respecting the singularity and multiplicities of the person and strengthening the doctor-patient relationship. This is a qualitative, analytical-reflective, exploratory study, classified as a theoretical-reflective investigation and grounded in dialectical and complexity-based approaches. The study is justified by the need to broaden the understanding of person-centered care, as reinforced by the National Curriculum Guidelines for Undergraduate Medical Education issued in September 2025, which promote this perspective in Brazilian medical education and encourage medical practices responsive to the complexities of contemporary reality, requiring new competencies and approaches to healthcare. Furthermore, this study may contribute to medical education institutions by fostering closer connections between clinical practice and philosophy, an intersection that remains underexplored in academia. It provides theoretical and reflective support for articulating humanization, ethics, and care, thereby broadening the understanding of medical education beyond technical training.