The philosophical health compass: A new and comprehensive assessment tool for researching existential dimensions of wellbeing

Abstract

<p>This paper introduces the Philosophical Health Compass (PHC), a quantitative assessment tool designed to complement qualitative research methods in investigating philosophical aspects of human wellbeing. The PHC evaluates six dimensions of philosophical health identified through previous research: bodily sense, sense of self, sense of belonging, sense of the possible, sense of purpose, and philosophical sense. While qualitative approaches in philosophical health excel at capturing rich individual narratives, their limitations in standardization and scalability constrain systematic research across populations. The PHC addresses this methodological gap by translating comprehensive philosophical concepts into measurable variables, enabling researchers to conduct comparative analyses, and integrate philosophical dimensions into an established wellbeing framework. This instrument is grounded in the SMILE_PH interview methodology introduced in 2023 by Luis de Miranda in the present journal, which has indicated through extensive field application that philosophical and existential health can be systematically explored through these six interrelated dimensions. We present the compass, its theoretical foundations, methodology, and potential research applications. By offering a standardized approach to evaluating philosophical wellbeing, the PHC creates new possibilities for interdisciplinary research while acknowledging that this questionnaire is not meant to replace the depth of the qualitative SMILE_PH dialogue, but rather to facilitate it.<br></p>