Health in the Balance

Abstract Chapter 2 critically examines early theories—and current “traditional” theories—about patterns of disease occurrence. Each theory is analyzed in its societal and ecological context and how this context affects who develops the theories, their content, and approach to framing the “balance” needed for health. Ancient theories considered include Greek humoral theory and Chinese traditional medicine(s). Contemporary traditional theories include the Kallawayan Andean cosmovision and traditional African medicine(s), using the example of the Ogori in Nigeria. Revision updates bring in new scholarship about Athenian slavery; circuits of knowledge connecting pre- and early-modern European, Islamic, Chinese, and Latin American theories of disease distribution; and new developments in Indigenous medicine in Bolivia, along with new threats posed by climate change.