Animal and Human Health and Welfare: A Comparative Philosophical Analysis

by Lennart Nordenfelt

Overview

For many years scientists within human and animal science have extensively discussed the philosophy of medicine, but never have both sides communicated on their concepts of health, quality of life and welfare, with each other. This book helps clarify the difficult but central notions of health and welfare by comparing the human and animal variants of these concepts.

Split into three parts this book starts by presenting a background of some of the major theories of human health and welfare, among these are the bio-statistical theory, classical theories such as Aristotle and Bentham, as well as objectivist and subjectivist contemporary theories. This is followed by a detailed discussion of theories on animal welfare and health; these include coping, feeling and preference theories. The final part of the book tests a comprehensive conceptual framework of a holistic kind, which focuses on the individual's ability to achieve it's vital goals.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781845930592
Publisher:	CABI
Publication date:	08/14/2006
Series:	CABI Series
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	208
Product dimensions:	6.88(w) x 9.75(h) x (d)

About the Author

Linkoping University

Table of Contents

Some Theories of Human Health and Welfare
An Overview of Historical Conceptions of Human Health
A Starting-point: Two Modern Streams of Philosophy of Human Health and Disease
The Place of Evolutionary Theory in the Philosophy of Health and Welfare
Two Classic Theories of Human Welfare
A Background to the Analysis of Welfare or Quality of Life in the Human Sciences
Some Contemporary Theories of Human Welfare or Quality of Life
Theories of Animal Health and Welfare
deas on Animal Health
Some Examples of Ideas on Animal Welfare
Biological Theories of Animal Welfare
Theories of Welfare, Ethics and Values
Theories of Welfare in Terms of Subjective Well-Being
On Animal Minds: A Digression
On Quality of Life in Animals
The Idea of Welfare as Fulfillment of Preferences
Theories of Welfare in Terms of Needs
Theories of Welfare in Terms of Natural Behaviour
On Complex Views of Animal Welfare
On Conflicts Between Individual and Systemic Welfare
Welfare and Time
Summing up the Analysis
A Holistic Approach to Animal Health and Welfare
Towards a Holistic Theory of Health in Animal Science
Towards a Happiness Theory of Welfare in the Animal Context

Editorial Reviews

"In veterinary and animal science, the concepts 'welfare,' 'well-being' and 'quality of life' have been applied to animals in a bewildering variety of ways. In this book, Lennart Nordenfelt makes a careful and thoughtful analysis of these concepts, based on a thorough reading of the veterinary and animal science literature combined with his own deep understanding of the parallel debates in the human health field. His analysis moves a cluttered and conflicted topic onto a higher plane. Nordenfelt is a philosopher who writes in a clear, unpretentious style that makes the book easily accessible to scientific readers. He has made a valuable contribution to the veterinary and animal sciences."—David Fraser, University of British Columbia

From the Publisher

"In veterinary and animal science, the concepts "welfare", "well-being" and "quality of life" have been applied to animals in a bewildering variety of ways. In this book, Lennart Nordenfelt makes a careful and thoughtful analysis of these concepts, based on a thorough reading of the veterinary and animal science literature combined with his own deep understanding of the parallel debates in the human health field. His analysis moves a cluttered and conflicted topic onto a higher plane. Nordenfelt is a philosopher who writes in a clear, unpretentious style that makes the book easily accessible to scientific readers. He has made a valuable contribution to the veterinary and animal sciences."

David Fraser

"Essential reading for those working in the fields of animal welfare research and for veterinarians involved with animal welfare policy."

Canadian Veterinary Journal

"In veterinary and animal science, the concepts "welfare", "well-being" and "quality of life" have been applied to animals in a bewildering variety of ways. In this book, Lennart Nordenfelt makes a careful and thoughtful analysis of these concepts, based on a thorough reading of the veterinary and animal science literature combined with his own deep understanding of the parallel debates in the human health field. His analysis moves a cluttered and conflicted topic onto a higher plane. Nordenfelt is a philosopher who writes in a clear, unpretentious style that makes the book easily accessible to scientific readers. He has made a valuable contribution to the veterinary and animal sciences."

David Fraser University of British Columbia