The philosophical role of illness – Harvi Carel
Philosophical methods have been used to study illness for several decades. In this talk I reverse the relationship between the two, asking: does illness have a philosophical role? I suggest that illness modifies, and thus sheds light on, normal experience, revealing its ordinary and therefore overlooked structure. Illness also provides an opportunity for reflection by performing a kind of suspension (epoché) of previously held beliefs, including tacit beliefs. I argue that these characteristics warrant illness a philosophical role.