Tenth International Conference on Health, Wellness & Society

Abstract

Vitalism is the generic term Alberto Masferrer assigned to his body of ideas that presupposes a strong humanistic impulse and a belief in the inherent right of all persons to a minimum standard of living. Masferrer called his Social Doctrine, “El Minimum Vital.” With “minimum vital,” he refers to the basic rights shared by all humans, such as adequate nutrition, clothing and shelter, potable water, access to employment, education and health care, fair justice, rest, and recreation. Vitalism, for Masferrer, is a moral code for living that has found proponents from Pico de la Mirandola to Bergson and to the Salvadoran Christian Democratic movement in 1960 that improved general conditions through co-operation and not revolution. To Masferrer’s mind, the strength of a nation and the health of its citizens were directly proportionate, and it is within this framework that he emphasized widespread access to food, education, culture, and a productive occupation. Masferrer confined himself to discussions of social and economic reforms instead of political revolutions. This paper considers these reforms in contrast this historical moment through an analysis of the United States. Known as the most advanced country in the world, the U.S. is still debating if we should have Universal Health Care, the same principle that was proposed in The Minimum Vital over ninety years ago in a Third World Country, El Salvador.