title: The will to health: a Nietzschean critique.
abstract: The purpose of this paper is to propose a critique of the prevailing attitude of human health, what I refer to as the will to health, using a Nietzschean perspective. First, I briefly discuss the purpose and manner of Nietzsche's methodological approach to philosophy and his problem with modernity. Second, I explicate the two current ideological paradigms of health that, in my view, constitute the prevailing will to health. Third, Nietzsche's general understanding of human health is presented and following this, a critique of some contemporary health matters from this perspective is undertaken. Strictly speaking, there is no specific thesis to be found in this paper. I do not presume to prove or disprove anything, rather I avail myself of Nietzsche's unique insight into the human condition as a rubric from which to illuminate something of the nature of human health.
authors.affiliation: School of Nursing, Faculty of Health Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. bettsc@mcmaster.ca
authors.forename: Clinton E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Betts
mesh_terms: D001294:Attitude to Health; D005086:Existentialism / Q000266:history*; D006262:Health; D049673:History, 20th Century; D006694:Holistic Health; D006801:Humans; D010687:Philosophy, Nursing / Q000266:history*; D033302:Postmodernism / Q000266:history*; D011209:Power, Psychological; D014836:Volition