Disease can be modeled as contingent invasion or as intrinsic systemic state

Evidence

Death (termination, entropy) is inexorable. But how should one regard illness and other disturbances of “normal” functioning? One possibility is the familiar “bacterial” explanation, and its extensions: diseases result from the invasion of organisms by virulent micro-organisms, and disabilities result from diseases, or from accidents, or from the consequences of other external matters (like dominant parents or competitive siblings). Diseases and disabilities are thus contingent—pathological. The alternative is to regard them as particular routine states of the living system: stress on systems is always present; the system defends and usually maintains itself through homeostatic devices, sometimes to avoid disturbance altogether, sometimes to recuperate; thus both illness and health essentially are intrinsic matters of the state of biological systems in interaction with their contexts. — John T. Jost and Jim Sidanius, Political Psychology, 4272 (#corroborates, via linked claim)

Categorization

• XREF: connects to: Native patients expected illness to be cured in a single total impact; Illness can be modeled either as external invasion or as an inherent system state. — John T. Jost and Jim Sidanius, Political Psychology, 4272; Civilizational pathologies emerge systemically rather than from individual intentions (+8 more)

Broader Connections

• Illness can be modeled either as external invasion or as an inherent system state. #corroborates (0.98) — John T. Jost and Jim Sidanius, Political Psychology, 4272
• Individuality is simultaneously a residue escaping the system and a wound the system inflicts #complicates (0.72)