Abstract

Moltmann’s views on the phenomenon of the bodily aspects of humans are highly critical of the contemporary theories of health and illness. Moltmann introduces his own interpretation of those issues.

He believes that the modern health cult carries the stigma of what it wants to overcome – the fear of illness. The weak points of the definition of heath proposed by The World Health Organization lie in the fact that it does not include the problems connected with death and dying. The concept of health as ‘the strength to be a man’ introduced by Moltmann, emphasizes the need to pay species attention to the problems of illness and dying, which are inseparably linked to human existence.

By opposing to the traditional, one – dimensional definitions od illness, Moltmann points to its four aspects: the first resulting from a man’s attitude towards himself; the second present within the social relations the third is connected with the life of an ill person; the forth is revealed in relation to the sphere of transcendence.

The main contribution of Moltmann is the fact that he replaced the traditional definitions of health and illness with the ones that do not ignore any of their most important aspects. The essence of Moltmann’s practical implications is the need for a person to bear a ‘healthy’ attitude towards life and illness.