Health, Science, and Ordinary LanguageThis book is a contribution to the current philosophical discussion on the nature of health and illness. It contains a comparative analysis and reevaluation of four influential contemporary theories in this field. These are the biostatistical theory of Christopher Boorse which represents the mainstream thinking in medicine, and three versions of a holistic and normative understanding of health and illness which are the theories of Lawrie Reznek, K. W. M. Fulford, and Lennart Nordenfelt. In this unusual volume of assessment, Nordenfelt critically reexamines his own theory, and George Khushf and K. W. M. Fulford contribute critical responses. |
Contents
| 3 | |
| 7 | |
| 14 | |
On Medical Classifications of Diseases and Related Conditions | 21 |
Lawrie Reznek | 29 |
Rezneks Positive View Concerning Disease and Illness | 35 |
Concluding Remarks on Rezneks Theory of Disease | 50 |
Fulfords Reverse Theory of Illness | 54 |
Part Two Two Commentaries by George Khushf | 121 |
Positivist Science and the Paradigm of Biomedicine | 135 |
The Biostatistical Disease Concept as a Condition of Medical | 143 |
Sustaining Practical | 149 |
Establishing Debate | 157 |
OrdinaryLanguage Philosophy and the Role of Values | 183 |
OrdinaryLanguage Philosophy and Scientific Research | 190 |
A Collaborative Approach | 204 |
Fulfords Assessment of His Project | 61 |
A Comparison between the Theories of Fulford and Nordenfelt | 72 |
On the Notion of Ability | 88 |
On Medical Goodness and the Values Attached to Health | 100 |
On the Relation between Health and Happiness | 108 |
| 215 | |
About the Authors | 227 |
| 235 | |
83 | |
Other editions - View all
Common terms and phrases
ability abnormal analysis analytic philosophy Axiology basic bodily Boorse Boorse's Broussais's Chapter characterization clinical concept of disease concepts of health condition criticism debate defined definition delusion descriptive disability disease concept diseasehood distinction dysfunction epistemic Ethics evaluative example failure of action failure of ordinary Flexner Fulford function harm health and disease health and illness health concepts human identify individual Khushf kind language logical positivism means medical classifications medical concepts medical model medical paradigm Medical Practice mental disorder mental health mental illness minimal happiness Models Project Moral Theory natural Nordenfelt normal normative normativism nosologies notion of disease notions of health ordinary-language philosophy Oxford pathological patient person philosophy of medicine philosophy of science positivist presupposes problem psychiatry psychopathology psychotic reasons relation Reznek role schizophrenia scientific social textbooks theoretical Theory and Medical theory of health tion Tony Colombo traditional value theory value-neutral values vital goals volume weak normativist
Popular passages
Page 11 - A disease is a type of internal state which is either an impairment of normal functional ability, ie, a reduction of one or more functional abilities below typical efficiency, or a limitation on functional ability caused by environmental agents.
Page 11 - Boorse presents the following definitions: 1 . The reference class is a natural class of organisms of uniform functional design; specifically, an age group of a sex of a species. 2. A normal function of a part or process within members of the reference class is a statistically typical contribution by it to their individual survival and reproduction. 3. A disease is a type of...
Page 8 - A disease is an illness only if it is serious enough to be incapacitating, and therefore is (i) undesirable for its bearer; (ii) a title to special treatment; and (iii) a valid excuse for normally criticizable behavior.