Human health and stoic moral norms.
For the philosophy of medicine, there are two things of interest about the stoic account of moral norms, quite apart from whether the rest of stoic ethical theory is compelling. One is the stoic version of naturalism: its account of practical reasoning, its solution to the is/ought problem, and its contention that norms for creating, sustaining, or restoring human health are tantamount to moral norms. The other is the stoic account of human agency: its description of the intimate connections between human health, rational agency, and moral norms. There is practical guidance to be gained from exploring those connections, whether or not one is ready to follow stoic moral theory all the way to its austere end.
Becker
Lawrence C
LC
Department of Philosophy, College of William and Mary, Williamsburg, VA, USA. becker@bookwork.net
D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D010684:Philosophy; D012945:Social Values; D017236:Suicide, Assisted