ABSTRACT
The health sciences have developed several analytical and empirical models or theories. In this chapter we will present a classification of these various insights by distinguishing four paradigms: a biomedical, an existential-anthropological, a systems, and a culturological paradigm.1 Each paradigm generates its own view on health, including health definitions. This richness of models and theories not only leads to manifold research styles and knowledge, but poses many new questions and problems. One important problem is that these different theoretical viewpoints lead to different and even contradictory health advice. This represents a fundamental challenge for the development of a new science of health. There is a need for more integration and synthesis in the health sciences, and this integration will have to be carried out at a metalevel. The different possibilities, dangers and critical aspects of the construction of meta-models will be discussed. The development of a more integrated knowledge will depend on the basic principle that different, even conflicting interpretations of reality can co-exist and are meaningful. It will also have to honour the open and creative character of processes of science and apply this to the development of the health sciences themselves. We have looked carefully at the special position of experiential knowledge. In our opinion the development of a new science of health without a good relationship to human experience will be impossible.
