The Philosophy of Public Health

Public health is once again becoming a major political and social issue in the 21st century, especially in relation to issues such as vaccination, bioterrorism, smoking and obesity. A number of theoretical ideas have emerged recently in the legal, bioethical and philosophical fields that could usefully be applied to these and other issues in public health.This book provides a much needed introduction to the many relevant philosophical concepts and arguments concerning public health. Consisting of both theoretical contributions and case studies this multidisciplinary collection of essays will both inform and generate debate among academics, policy makers and practitioners about many of the relevant issues in public health.