Responsibility for One’s Own Illness

Abstract

The problem which I propose to consider essentially concerns future efforts to improve public health. Many papers emphasize life-styles and focus on the possible effects of changing an individual’s “health behavior.” Any solution to the problems of behavior related to illness in our society should involve individual responsibility for health in the first instance, and social responsibility in the second. I wish to consider the responsibility of the sick person for his or her own particular illness, and not only as a theoretical approach.