95824 - Philosophyof Health

Learning outcomes

The philosophy of health reflects critically on the concepts of health, wellbeing and quality of life, as they are employed in scientific research. This course introduces to the main concepts and definitions of health and wellbeing in philosophy and in the biomedical sciences; to recognze the interplay of facts and values in defining health and related concepts; the indvidual and social dimensions of health and wellbeing; some ethical aspects of health communication

Course contents

The Good Food: Philosophical Issues

When discussing healthy, fair, and good food, we express value judgments alongside biomedical facts. These judgments are based on the ethical and political principles of communities and individuals. This course explores the value dimensions, or philosophical aspects, of nutritional sciences (topics 1-3) and the profession of the nutritionist (topics 4-6).

No prior knowledge of philosophy or its history is required for this course.

Topics:

1. Nutritional Choices as Moral Choices: The Right Food to Become a Better Person

- A Very Short History of the Ethics of Eating

- Food and personal identity

2. Right Food and Sustainability: The Right Food for a Fairer Society
- Sustainable agriculture and livestock farming
- Being vegetarian, vegan, or conscious consumers
- The myth of natural food

3. Nutritional Choices and Health Choices: The Right Food as Healthy Food
- Concepts of health and well-being in biomedical sciences
- Nutritional science and fake news

4. "There is No Right Food": Fat Pride and Anti-Diet
- Is dieting immoral?
- Medical models of obesity as a disease

5. Nutritional Choices and Personal Autonomy: Who Can Tell Me What the Right Food Is?
- What it means to be an expert in nutrition
- Basic ethics for nutrition experts

Readings/Bibliography

For the exam, you are required to study:

• Lalumera, E. (2025). Il cibo giusto. Filosofia critica delle norme del mangiare. Bologna: Esculapio.

In addition, choose one of the following texts:

• Pollo, S. (2025). Considera gli animali. Roma: Laterza.

• Pollan, M. (2009). In difesa del cibo. Torino: Adelphi.

Please note: Course notes (slides) and recordings are necessary but not sufficient to prepare for the exam.

Teaching methods

Traditional lectures.

Assessment methods

Written test with 16 open questions.

Maximum score 32 (30 e lode) 

This is one module of an integrated course. Final grade of the integrated course is the average of the two grades obtained in each module.

Students with learning disorders and\or temporary or permanent disabilities: please, contact the office responsible (https://site.unibo.it/studenti-con-disabilita-e-dsa/en/for-students) as soon as possible so that they can propose acceptable adjustments. The request for adaptation must be submitted in advance (15 days before the exam date) to the lecturer, who will assess the appropriateness of the adjustments, taking into account the teaching objectives.

Erasmus students are welcome to request an English version of the course materials and to take the exam in English. Please note that this request must be made by email no later than November 30.

Teaching tools

Pdf  files of classes, articles and some videos, class recordings on Virtuale.

Office hours

See the website of Elisabetta Lalumera