The being and value of health
The principle aim of this thesis is to provide an account of the nature of health. The starting-point is that health is a normative concept: health implies a standard or norm in relation to which an organismâs state is evaluated. Many philosophers take this to imply that health must be defined in subjective terms. They either think health consists in a certain type of subjective experience (e.g. Canguilhem, Fulford), or that health is relative to subjective values and goals (e.g. Nietzsche, Korsgaard, Nordenfelt). I argue that subjective definitions of health fail to capture the essential properties of health and attempt to show that health is something normative and yet entirely objective. This would imply that there are normative facts in the world, and to support this claim I turn to debates in contemporary meta-ethics. I develop a meta-ethical theory according to which a subset of non-moral goods is grounded in objective features of living beings, and argue that this meta-ethical theory opens the possibility for an objective account of health. I then proceed to develop a theory of health that aims to capture what it means for any living to be healthy. I argue that the concept of health latches onto organismsâ
Werkhoven, Sander
B Philosophy (General)
The being and value of health. The principle aim of this thesis is to provide an account of the nature of health. The starting-point is that health is a normative concept: health implies a standard or norm in relation to which an organismâs state is evaluated. Many philosophers take this to imply that health must be defined in subjective terms. They either think health consists in a certain type of subjective experience (e.g. Canguilhem, Fulford), or that health is relative to subjective values and goals (e.g. Nietzsche, Korsgaard, Nordenfelt). I argue that subjective definitions of health fail to capture the essential properties of health and attempt to show that health is something normative and yet entirely objective. This would imply that there are normative facts in the world, and to support this claim I turn to debates in contemporary meta-ethics. I develop a meta-ethical theory according to which a subset of non-moral goods is grounded in objective features of living beings, and argue that this meta-ethical theory opens the possibility for an objective account of health. I then proceed to develop a theory of health that aims to capture what it means for any living to be healthy. I argue that the concept of health latches onto organismsâ
value health principle aim_provide account nature health starting_point health normative concept health implies standard norm relation organism state evaluate many_philosopher take imply health must define subjective term either think health consist certain_type subjective experience health relative subjective value goal nietzsche argue subjective definition health fail_capture essential property health attempt_show health something normative yet entirely objective would imply normative fact world support_claim turn debate contemporary meta_ethics develop meta_ethical theory accord subset non moral good ground objective feature live being argue meta_ethical theory open_possibility objective account health proceed develop_theory health aim_capture mean live healthy argue concept health onto organism