ABSTRACT
In classical reflection on medical matters health is conceived of as a bodily state which is in accordance with nature. It is a state of natural balance in the mixture of the primary qualities of the human body. Although few of the details of ancient natural philosophy and the Galenic philosophy of health have survived, it is important to note that two ancient ideas still influence our thought: the idea of a balance between opposing elements or forces, and, in particular, the idea of a natural or normal state of the living organism. In contemporary reflection there is a forceful attempt to formulate a conception of health and disease in terms of biological norms, where the interpretation is unambiguous. According to this conception, the biological norms are related to certain natural goals (for instance, survival). These goals are not attributed to the body from outside, but belong to the internal constitution of the body (Nordenfelt 1995).
