Toward a Philosophy of Harm Reduction.

Area of Science:

• Philosophy
• Ethics
• Social Sciences

Background:

• Harm reduction is a public health approach focused on reducing negative consequences associated with certain behaviors.
• Philosophical engagement with harm reduction is nascent but growing.
• Existing harm reduction scholarship often focuses on 'vice' related issues like addiction and sex work.

Purpose of the Study:

• To provide a prolegomenon to the philosophy of harm reduction.
• To establish the relevance and benefit of philosophical inquiry to harm reduction scholarship.
• To survey and assess the current state of philosophy of harm reduction literature.

Main Methods:

• Literature review of philosophical and non-philosophical harm reduction scholarship.
• Analysis of arguments for expanding harm reduction beyond traditional 'vice' domains.
• Identification of key philosophical issues for future research.

Main Results:

• Philosophers have a significant contribution to make to understanding harm reduction.
• Engagement with harm reduction can enrich philosophical scholarship.
• There is a growing call to expand harm reduction principles to new areas.

Conclusions:

• The philosophy of harm reduction is an emerging field with significant potential.
• Further philosophical exploration is needed to address complex issues in harm reduction.
• Harm reduction principles may be applicable to a broader range of societal problems.