Book chapter
Toward a Fuller Understanding of the Enigma of Health
Global Health, Humanity and the COVID-19 Pandemic, pp 15-31
25 Feb 2023
Abstract
“Health” is a state of being healed and whole, a kind of balance or integrity. Thus, it takes for granted the vulnerability and precariousness of life—its tendency to fall apart, to disintegrate. But it also suggests or orients us toward a state of being that we regard as “healthy” or “well.” For social creatures, the wellness of each individual significantly reflects the vitality of its social environment. Healing practices can restore balance and integrity, but doing so requires that both the individual and the social aspects or dimensions of wellness are kept in view. In this chapter, I will explore the interplay of personal and social aspects of health and of the healing practices associated with the scientific and humanistic approaches to it using Gadamer’s The Enigma of Health. In the spirit of Gadamer’s thinking that both approaches are essential to preserving and restoring a balance and integrity worth seeking, I will suggest some practical ways I think the sciences and the Humanities can work together in relevant contexts.
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Details
- Title
- Toward a Fuller Understanding of the Enigma of Health
- Creators
- Peter Amato - Drexel University
- Publication Details
- Global Health, Humanity and the COVID-19 Pandemic, pp 15-31
- Publisher
- Springer International Publishing; Cham
- Resource Type
- Book chapter
- Language
- English
- Academic Unit
- English and Philosophy
- Scopus ID
- 2-s2.0-85160491710
- Other Identifier
- 991020535049304721