Health as Liberation

Deftly quilting themes of Latin American and feminist liberation theologies with those of philosophers such as Immanuel Kant and John Rawls, Alastair V. Campbell displays our rich interconnectedness and our moral responsibilities to one another. Suggesting that many American citizens are oppressed by our current health-care system, he contends that prior to questions of health-care allocation are questions of what we mean as a society by the term health--and how that term is inextricably linked to personal and social freedom and liberation. In the forceful final chapter of the book, Campbell articulates ethical standards for just health-care delivery in the United States--standards that, above all, take account of deep religious faith and concern for one's neighbor.Health as Liberation is a critical analysis of justice and modern health care, and of a society's moral obligations to its citizens.Alastair Campbell's Health as Liberation is very powerful. Taking the perspective of liberation thought and praxis, Campbell helpfully redirects our attention to health as an aspect of freedom, to the many voices of illness, and to the social structures that thwart and promote health. This clear and compelling book will be of great interest to secular as well as to theological audiences, and I enthusiastically recommend it.--James F. Childress, University of Virginia, coauthor of Principles of Biomedical EthicsProfessor Campbell promises to listen to the 'voices of the oppressed.' The course of his reflections immeasurably deepens our understanding of the profound connections between health and freedom, and of the need to give voice to the voiceless. This is a most thoughtful and intelligent book.--Richard M. Zaner, Vanderbilt University, author of Troubled Voices: Stories of Ethics and IllnessAlastair V. Campbell is the Chen Su Lan Centennial Professor of Medical Ethics and director of the Centre for Biomedical Ethics at the National University of Singapore. He is the author of numerous books on medical and pastoral care, including Practical Medical Ethics, and is the editor of The Dictionary of Pastoral Care.