Classic Concepts of Disease

The article highlights systematic aspects of defining disease. It focuses on three philosophical facets: the ontology, epistemology, and axiology of disease. These are illustrated by historical examples. Ontology is concerned with existence or being. With regard to disease it focuses on issues such as the location of disease and the ontological status of specific diseases. Epistemology is concerned with theoretical aspects of knowledge. Central epistemological questions regarding disease are concerned with etiology and the role of norms. Axiology is the theory of value. In this part, the debate about whether disease is an evaluative concept is introduced. The article also addresses normative consequences of disease.