Engel's biopsychosocial model of medicine has been widely endorsed by conte
mporary medicine, at least in theory. Yet, whereas Engel's notion refers ma
inly to physician-patient communication, the prevalent interpretation of th
is model is mainly etiological. The present meta-theoretical study examines
the relation between the different notions of the model. Using logical ana
lysis and the theory of (critical) rationality, in particular Wettersten's
theory of (complementary) styles of rationality, it is argued that the diff
erent notions of the model may be complementary, rather than contradictory
or incommensurable as usually implied by those holding them.