One health ethics: a response to pragmatism

Area of Science:

• Interdisciplinary studies
• Public health ethics
• Philosophy of science

Background:

• The necessity of a comprehensive normative framework for One Health (OH) is debated.
• Pragmatism currently dominates the OH literature.
• Existing frameworks may lack the depth for complex health dilemmas.

Purpose of the Study:

• To provide context for the debate on OH normative frameworks.
• To argue for the utility of a comprehensive metaethical theory in OH.
• To call for systematic articulation of such a theory.

Main Methods:

• Literature review and commentary on existing OH discourse.
• Philosophical analysis of normative and metaethical theories.
• Argumentation for a structured ethical foundation for OH.

Main Results:

• Pragmatism is prevalent but may not sufficiently address OH complexities.
• A comprehensive normative theory can reduce ambiguity in OH.
• Such a theory is crucial for grounding concepts like universal good in OH.

Conclusions:

• While not strictly necessary, a comprehensive normative framework offers significant advantages for One Health.
• Articulating a metaethical theory is essential for robust OH practice and future development.
• Further philosophical work is needed to develop and integrate this theory into OH.