Immanuel Kant on human health and vital force

The research aims to identify the internal conditions for preserving and strengthening human health within Immanuel Kant’s system of philosophical views. The article examines this issue outside a medical context, as Kant’s reflections are primarily oriented toward human potential and individual activity. The scientific novelty lies in the comprehensive study of Kant’s approach to health across his early, middle, and late periods, clarifying the concept of health and uncovering both natural and internal (subjective) obstacles to achieving, preserving, and strengthening “vital force” (Lebenskraft). The results of the study reveal the specifics of Kant’s understanding of health and its various aspects. The work identifies obstacles to health inherent in human nature and presents subjective factors of human activity (thinking, lifestyle) that either facilitate or hinder the preservation of vital force. The article characterizes the individual’s role in managing passions and affects, highlighting the link between the emotional-sensory sphere and health. Furthermore, it identifies the internal conditions for achieving health within a moral life, uncovers the subjective causes of self-discord and psychological instability, and defines the significance of reason in maintaining a healthy state.