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H obbesian Right to Healthcare
Author(s) -
Courtland Shane D.
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
journal of applied philosophy
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.339
H-Index - 30
eISSN - 1468-5930
pISSN - 0264-3758
DOI - 10.1111/japp.12124
Subject(s) - anachronism , health care , right to health , state (computer science) , government (linguistics) , politics , law and economics , epistemology , political science , sociology , law , philosophy , computer science , linguistics , algorithm
Over the last few years we have had a debate regarding the role of government in providing healthcare. There has been a question as to whether or not the state's proper role requires protection of its subjects from the calamities associated with a lack of healthcare. In this article, I will argue that straightforward H obbesian principles require the state to provide healthcare. It might seem odd (or, at the very least, anachronistic) that such a positive right can be justified by a philosopher who famously conceives of individuals as motivated by self‐interest. Nonetheless, Hobbes's political theory provides the framework for such a right.