%0 Journal Article %T The six most essential questions in psychiatric diagnosis: a pluralogue. Part 4: general conclusion %A Phillips James %A Frances Allen %A Cerullo Michael A %A Chardavoyne John %J Philosophy, Ethics, and Humanities in Medicine %D 2012 %I BioMed Central %R 10.1186/1747-5341-7-14 %X In the conclusion to this multi-part article I first review the discussions carried out around the six essential questions in psychiatric diagnosis 每 the position taken by Allen Frances on each question, the commentaries on the respective question along with Frances* responses to the commentaries, and my own view of the multiple discussions. In this review I emphasize that the core question is the first 每 what is the nature of psychiatric illness 每 and that in some manner all further questions follow from the first. Following this review I attempt to move the discussion forward, addressing the first question from the perspectives of natural kind analysis and complexity analysis. This reflection leads toward a view of psychiatric disorders 每 and future nosologies 每 as far more complex and uncertain than we have imagined. %U http://www.peh-med.com/content/7/1/14