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Three concepts of suffering

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Abstract

This paper has three main aims. The first is to provide a critical assessment of two rival concepts of suffering, that proposed by Cassell and that proposed in this journal by van Hooft. The second aim of the paper is to sketch a more plausible concept of suffering, one which derives from a Wittgensteinian view of linguistic meaning. This more plausible concept is labeled an ‘intuitive concept’. The third aim is to assess the prospects for scientific understanding of suffering.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Centre for Philosophy and Health Care, School of Health Science, University of Wales Swansea, SA2 8PP, UK

    Steven D. Edwards

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  1. Steven D. Edwards
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Edwards, S.D. Three concepts of suffering. Med Health Care Philos 6, 59–66 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1022537117643

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1022537117643

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