Main description:

John Coggon argues that the important question for analysts in the fields of public health law and ethics is 'what makes health public?' He offers a conceptual and analytic scrutiny of the salient issues raised by this question, outlines the concepts entailed in, or denoted by, the term 'public health' and argues why and how normative analyses in public health are inquiries in political theory. The arguments expose and explain the political claims inherent in key works in public health ethics. Coggon then develops and defends a particular understanding of political liberalism, describing its implications for critical study of public health policies and practices. Covering important works from legal, moral, and political theory, public health, public health law and ethics, and bioethics, this is a foundational text for scholars, practitioners and policy bodies interested in freedoms, rights and responsibilities relating to health.

Contents:

Introduction; Part I. Basic Concepts and Public Health: 1. Health, normativity, and politics; 2. The public, and things being public; 3. The seven faces of public health; 4. Public health policy; 5. Public health law and ethics; 6. Conclusion to Part I; Part II. Evaluating Evaluations: Making Health Public: 7. Analysis in the political realm; 8. Making health public; 9. Conclusion to Part II; Part III. Tackling Responsibility: Liberal Citizens as Subjects and Sovereigns: 10. Liberal citizens: defining non-individuated individuals; 11. Health made public: rights, R=responsibilities and shared concerns; 12. Conclusion.