On Making a Success of Life: ‘Human Flourishing’ and Healthcare

This article considers rival views of flourishing and their significance for healthcare, compassion and professional practice. It argues that 'making a success of life' is ultimately not in our hands and so criticises quasi-Aristotelian interpretations of the Sermon on the Mount that call for an intentional formation and achievement of virtuous character as a condition of flourishing. Close attention is paid to the moral concepts and instruction arising from the Psalms and the beatitudes of Matthew's gospel. Civic, economic and biotechnological dimensions of healthcare are explored through study of the beatitudes, guided by William Tyndale, John Wesley, Martin Luther King Jr and Rebekah Eklund, and against the background of divine providential and eschatological agency. What making a success of life means for healthcare is identified by attention to covetousness, arrogance, distinguishing good and evil, discerning the presence of God among healthcare staff and patients, contending with societal violence and whistleblowing.