title: Three concepts of suffering.
abstract: This paper has three main aims. The first is to provide a critical assessment of two rival concepts of suffering, that proposed by Cassell and that proposed in this journal by van Hooft. The second aim of the paper is to sketch a more plausible concept of suffering, one which derives from a Wittgensteinian view of linguistic meaning. This more plausible concept is labeled an 'intuitive concept'. The third aim is to assess the prospects for scientific understanding of suffering.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Philosophy and Health Care, School of Health Science, University of Wales Swansea, SA2 8PP, UK.
authors.forename: Steven D
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Edwards
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004644:Emotions; D006694:Holistic Health; D006801:Humans; D019222:Mind-Body Relations, Metaphysical; D010146:Pain / Q000523:psychology*; D010686:Philosophy, Medical; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000523:psychology*