Health, Science, and Ordinary Language / / Lennart Nordenfelt.

• Superior document: Value Inquiry Book Series ; 110
• VerfasserIn: Nordenfelt, Lennart
• Place / Publishing House: Leiden; , Boston : : BRILL,, 2001.
• Year of Publication: 2001
• Language: English
• Series: Value Inquiry Book Series ; 110.
• Physical Description: 1 online resource (256 pages)

This 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.

Table of Contents

Foreword by Zbigniew Szawarski. Author's Preface. Part One. Disease and Illness Revisited: Where Should Medical Theory Go? -- One. Introduction -- Two. The Biostatistical Theory of Disease: Christopher Boorse -- Three. An Alternative Medical Paradigm of Disease: Lawrie Reznek -- Four. Toward Reverse Theories of Health and Illness: K.W.M. Fulford and Lennart Nordenfelt -- Five. Toward a Critical Assessment of the Reverse Theories of Health and Illness -- Part Two. Two Commentaries by George Khushf and K.W.M. Fulford -- One. What Is at Issue in the Debate about Concepts of Health and Disease? Framing the Problem of Demarcation for a Post-Positivist Era of Medicine. By George Khushf -- Two. Philosophy into Practice: The Case for Ordinary-Language Philosophy. By K.W.M. Fulford -- Afterword -- References -- About the Authors -- Index.