On disease

theories of disease and the ascription of disease

Loretta Kopelman

pp. 143-150

in: Tristram Engelhardt, Stuart Spicker (eds), Evaluation and explanation in the biomedical sciences, Berlin, Springer, 1975

Abstract

Dr. Engelhardt has argued that the concept of disease is ambiguous because it has both an explanatory and an evaluative role.¹ I would like to examine this. To do so I will begin by distinguishing between theories of disease on the one hand and the ascription of disease on the other.