HEALTH AS A CULTURAL AND PHILOSOPHICAL CONSTRUCT: AN ETYMOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVE

Abstract

Health is commonly treated in contemporary discourse as a biomedical and value-neutral category defined by scientific criteria and measurable indicators. This article challenges such reductionist interpretations by approaching health as a cultural and philosophical construct shaped by historical meanings, ethical assumptions, and anthropological models of the human being. Using an etymological perspective, the study traces the linguistic origins of the concept of health in ancient Greek, Latin, and early European traditions, demonstrating that health was originally associated with wholeness, harmony, moral order, and social stability. The article argues that these foundational meanings reveal health as a normative and culturally mediated concept rather than a purely technical one. By reconstructing the etymological and philosophical layers of health, the study provides a critical framework for understanding contemporary healthy lifestyle discourse and its ethical implications.