THE ETYMOLOGY OF HEALTH: PHILOSOPHICAL REFLECTIONS ON THE ORIGINS OF THE HEALTHY LIFESTYLE PARADIGM

Abstract:

The contemporary paradigm of a healthy lifestyle is widely presented as a scientifically grounded and universally valid framework for human well-being. However, its conceptual origins and philosophical presuppositions are rarely examined. This article offers an etymological and philosophical analysis of the concept of health in order to uncover the foundational meanings that have shaped the modern healthy lifestyle paradigm. By tracing the linguistic roots of health in ancient Greek, Latin, and early European traditions, and by situating these meanings within classical and medieval philosophical thought, the study demonstrates that health originally functioned as a holistic and value-laden concept. The article argues that contemporary interpretations often abstract health from its ethical and anthropological foundations, transforming it into a normative and instrumental ideal. Reconstructing the etymological origins of health enables a more critical and philosophically grounded understanding of healthy lifestyle discourse as a cultural and moral construct rather than a purely technical model.