About the RIG

The ” Health Humanities, the Body, and Society” Research Interest Group (Health RIG) is funded through the Oregon Humanities Center and consists of an interdisciplinary group of graduate and faculty researchers who think about the concept of health at the intersection of science and culture. Health, as the philosopher Hans-Georg Gadamer writes, is an “enigma:”

“So what genuine possibilities stand before us when we are considering the question of health? Without doubt it is part of our nature as living beings that our conscious self-awareness remains largely in the background so that our enjoyment of good health is constantly concealed from us. Yet despite its hidden character health none the less manifests itself in a general feeling of well-being. It shows itself above all where such a feeling of well-being means we are open to new things, ready to embark on new enterprises and, forgetful of ourselves, scarcely notice the demands and strains which are put on us. This is what health is.”

The Enigma of Health, 113.

The Health RIG, which began meeting in January 2020, meets once a week to discuss our own research in the context of reading Elaine Scarry’s The Body in Pain. Our group consists of members from English, biology, philosophy, public health, and psychology. To join the RIG, contact Ricardo at friazr@gmail.com.