Situation-Specific Disease and Dispositional Function

Abstract

In ( Kingma [2010] ), I argued that Boorse's ([1977], [1997]) biostatistical theory of health (BST) is unable to accommodate diseases that are the normal result of harmful environments. Hausman ( [2011] ) disagrees: if the BST compares normal dispositional function against the whole population or reference class, rather than against organisms in similar circumstances as I proposed, then my ( [2010] ) challenge can be avoided. In this paper, I argue that Hausman's response fails: his proposal cannot accommodate a series of common physiological processes, such as sleep and those involved in reproduction. In the course of this argument, I also offer a detailed discussion of the concept of functional efficiency ( Hausman [2011] , [2012] ), and reveal a link between the problem of environments ( Kingma [2010] ) and that of reference classes ( Kingma [2007] ). 1 Introduction 2 Kingma on Boorse 3 Hausman on Kingma 4 Response to Hausman 5 Three Possible Replies 5.1 Reference classes 5.2 Temporary pathologies 5.3 Adequacy of function 6 Concluding Discussion