From divine healing powers to the tyranny of the virtual gaze: medical practice and the technological imperative in healthcare

The introduction of new technologies in preexisting settings is usually perceived as a vector for stimulating signi2cant changes to the status quo, allowing individuals to operate more quickly and more e5ciently. Technological innovation has passed from a response to one or more perceived needs, to be part of the collective identity of contemporary industrialised societies. Hence, it cannot only be seen as a social process, but it also refers to a peculiar « state of mind », which encompasses a huge range of positive feelings lying between the evaluation of the present and expectations of the future. Hence, the main aim of this work is to brie7y retrace the history of technological innovation in healthcare, highlighting the bonds it holds with religion and spirituality on one side, and with law and normativity on the other.