Naturalism in the Philosophy of Health

Issues and Implications

Nonfiction, Religion & Spirituality, Philosophy, Reference, Health & Well Being, Medical, History
Cover of the book Naturalism in the Philosophy of Health by , Springer International Publishing
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: ISBN: 9783319290911
Publisher: Springer International Publishing Publication: April 25, 2016
Imprint: Springer Language: English
Author:
ISBN: 9783319290911
Publisher: Springer International Publishing
Publication: April 25, 2016
Imprint: Springer
Language: English

In a series of papers published in the 1970s, Christopher Boorse proposed a naturalist theory of health, mainly based on a value-free concept of ‘biological function’, a concept of ‘reference class’ and the notion of ‘statistical normality’. His theory has profoundly shaped the philosophical debates on the concepts of health and disease. It could even be said that the numerous criticisms of his 'biostatistical theory' are at the centre of what is usually referred to as the debate between ‘normativists’ and ‘naturalists’. Today, the predominant naturalist theory of health is still Boorse’s biostatistical theory. 

This volume offers the first comprehensive review and critical assessment of the nature and status of naturalism in the philosophy of health. It explores the notion of biological normativity and its relevance for the philosophy of health, and it analyses the implications of the philosophical theories of health for healthcare and the debate on health enhancement. 

In the first section, several contributions identify the kind of ‘naturalism’ the biostatistical theory belongs to and offer further criticisms or possible modifications, such as the concept of function that is required by this theory, and whether a comparativist approach to health is more relevant than a non-comparativist one. The second section explores natural or biological ‘normativity’ and some possible accounts of health that could be based on this concept. The third and final section focuses on the implications of naturalism in healthcare. 'Goals of Medicine’ is the first paper in which Christopher Boorse ventured toward analysing the implication of his biostatistical theory of health on the practice of medicine, the difficult issue of the goals of medicine and the boundary between treating and enhancing. Other papers in this section critically evaluate Boorse’s account and analyse the importance of a positive concept of health.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

In a series of papers published in the 1970s, Christopher Boorse proposed a naturalist theory of health, mainly based on a value-free concept of ‘biological function’, a concept of ‘reference class’ and the notion of ‘statistical normality’. His theory has profoundly shaped the philosophical debates on the concepts of health and disease. It could even be said that the numerous criticisms of his 'biostatistical theory' are at the centre of what is usually referred to as the debate between ‘normativists’ and ‘naturalists’. Today, the predominant naturalist theory of health is still Boorse’s biostatistical theory. 

This volume offers the first comprehensive review and critical assessment of the nature and status of naturalism in the philosophy of health. It explores the notion of biological normativity and its relevance for the philosophy of health, and it analyses the implications of the philosophical theories of health for healthcare and the debate on health enhancement. 

In the first section, several contributions identify the kind of ‘naturalism’ the biostatistical theory belongs to and offer further criticisms or possible modifications, such as the concept of function that is required by this theory, and whether a comparativist approach to health is more relevant than a non-comparativist one. The second section explores natural or biological ‘normativity’ and some possible accounts of health that could be based on this concept. The third and final section focuses on the implications of naturalism in healthcare. 'Goals of Medicine’ is the first paper in which Christopher Boorse ventured toward analysing the implication of his biostatistical theory of health on the practice of medicine, the difficult issue of the goals of medicine and the boundary between treating and enhancing. Other papers in this section critically evaluate Boorse’s account and analyse the importance of a positive concept of health.

More books from Springer International Publishing

Cover of the book Rotating Machinery, Optical Methods & Scanning LDV Methods, Volume 6 by
Cover of the book Interventional Radiology for Medical Students by
Cover of the book Using Mass Spectrometry for Biochemical Studies on Enzymatic Domains from Polyketide Synthases by
Cover of the book Remote Powering and Data Communication for Implanted Biomedical Systems by
Cover of the book The Human Being, the World and God by
Cover of the book Virtue and Responsibility in Policy Research and Advice by
Cover of the book Smart Cities by
Cover of the book Minimally Invasive Bariatric and Metabolic Surgery by
Cover of the book Fourier Analysis and Stochastic Processes by
Cover of the book Modelling the Short QT Syndrome Gene Mutations by
Cover of the book Surgery of the Inferior Vena Cava by
Cover of the book Science and the Economic Crisis by
Cover of the book Software Engineering: Challenges and Solutions by
Cover of the book Geostatistics Valencia 2016 by
Cover of the book Basic Graph Theory by
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy