POSTSTRUCTURALISM AND OTHER SPECIES IN PUBLIC-HEALTH - A DARWINIAN VIEW

The concepts and methods of poststructuralism are emerging as useful t ools to increase our understanding of public health. This paper discus ses poststructuralism within the context of a metaphoric 'evolutionary ecology' of knowledge (an epistemecology). It argues that claims for the importance of any programs (such as poststructuralism) are problem atic. Using evolutionary and ecological metaphors, it suggests that pu blic health may benefit from its advocates fostering the recombination of elements of knowledge to produce epistemes which adapt us congruen tly to the general and specific goals of public health, which should i nclude a primary aim of minimising suffering. Choosing to act in an et hical way in regard to our construction and use of knowledge may be on e way of achieving those aims. The term 'ethical fitness' is a way of conceptualising an evolving epistemic ethic.