ABSTRACT
At its core, bringing philosophical refl ection and analysis to questions of public health involves bringing a critical evaluation of questions concerning possible, actual, and proposed public health policies and measures. 1 This critical evaluation can help us to expose particular presuppositions; identify essential claims and distinctions; and reason through how various moral, political, and legal considerations should impact upon different public health activities. Further, greater familiarity with philosophical theories, defi nitions, and concepts can also help by providing us with a useful vocabulary and basis of analysis for public health and public health ethics and law.
