Dear Ann and others,
ALthough I agree that PhDs not use the Doctor title socially in Anglophone
countries, Miss Manners is incorrect regarding the "traditional"
usage of Doctor by MDs. This is relatively recent (200 or so years) and is
due to usurpation of the Doctor title by physicians in order to gain
respectibility for a profession that, up until the last part of the 1800s,
lacked the intellectual rigor and training of PhDs, D.V.s, etc.. The
Doctor title is derived from the middle ages (or earlier) and was
originally reserved for Doctors of Philosophy, Theology etc.- people who
formed and defended an intellectual point of view (Thesis). Physicians do
not do this to this day (except for MD PhDs who do as part of the PhD).
The medical practitioners started calling themselves Doctor to gain some
of the respectibility that pertained to the title. It is now the exclusive
domain of physicians socially.
In my opinion, it would be best if MDs referred to themselves as
Physicians and removed any ambiguity regarding the Doctor term.
Languages other than English still reserve the Doctor title for learned
people and use other terms for physicians (medicin etc.).
"Never Ascribe to Malice that which can be explained by Ignorance."
John J. Peloquin
Entomology, University of California, Riverside, CA 92521
On Thu, 16 Jul 1998, Ann Snyder wrote:
> A direct quote from "Miss Manners":
>
> "Dear Miss Manners-- I have a Ph.D. in astrophysics. Once in a while, I
> like to introduce myself as "Dr. Jones." My wife has lately informed me,
> however, that society reserves the title of "doctor" only for medical
> professionals, not Ph.D.s. Is she correct?
> Should I avoid introducing myself as "doctor" so as not to give the false
> impression that I am an M.D.?
> Gentle Reader--No, you should avoid introducing yourself as "doctor" to
> avoid giving the impression that you are a pompous fool.
> Your wife is correct that, traditionally, the medical title is the only
> one used socially. Miss Manners' point is that it is socially pompous to
> use any title in regard to oneself."
>
> Ann
> '72 B GT
> '71 B roadster
> '74.5 B GT (just completed 2000 mile shake-down cruise to Hagerstown!)
> '2 many project cars to mention
>
>
>
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