The Architecture of Existential Health: Toward a phenomenology of meaning, mortality and human flourishing
Jim Palmer
Existential Analysis: Journal of the Society for Existential Analysis July 1, 2026 DOI: 10.65828/1823v773 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Philosophy of mind |
| Key points | Argues that prevailing models of well-being overlook the existential dimension and proposes "existential health" as a fourth domain of human flourishing. Synthesising a century of existential thought into a developmental framework, the authors contend that existential health should be recognised as a public good essential for navigating twenty-first-century crises. |
Abstract
Contemporary models of well-being remain incomplete because they overlook the existential dimension. Drawing on philosophy, phenomenology, anthropology, sociology and public health, this article proposes existential health as a fourth domain of human flourishing. It examines how individuals and societies relate to mortality, groundlessness, isolation, meaning, belonging and ecological embeddedness, synthesises a century of existential thought into a developmental framework, and argues for recognising existential health as a public good essential for navigating twenty-first-century crises.
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