---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Aiming at health, restoring health - that…"
description: "\"Aiming at health, restoring health - that is a goal that is both morally important and limited, because it aims at the restoration of normal human func..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/06d/michael-sandel-10344_aim_aiming-at-health-restoring-health-that-i_2462771.jpg"
---

#  Aiming at health, restoring health - that is a goal that…

![“Aiming at health, restoring health - that is a goal that is both morally important and limited, because it aims at the restoration of normal human functioning, which is an important part of human flourishing.” quote by Michael Sandel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/06d/michael-sandel-10344_aim_aiming-at-health-restoring-health-that-i_2462771.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/06d/michael-sandel-10344_aim_aiming-at-health-restoring-health-that-i_2462771.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/06d/michael-sandel-10344_aim_aiming-at-health-restoring-health-that-i_2462771.jpg)

> “Aiming at health, restoring health - that is a goal that is both morally important and limited, because it aims at the restoration of normal human functioning, which is an important part of human flourishing.”

[Michael Sandel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-sandel/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Health is a moral imperative and a limited resource essential for human flourishing.

**In simple terms:** Health is both moral and limited.

Key Takeaway

Protect and restore health as a societal priority.

Themes

health morality human flourishing

Mood

ethical serious

Type

philosophical political

When to use this quote

- healthcare reform
- personal wellness plans
- community health initiatives

Key Concepts

ethics public policy well‑being

Questions to Reflect On

- What ethical limits should guide health interventions?
- How do we allocate scarce health resources?

A Different Perspective

Health resources are finite and contested.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Flourishing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/flourishing/) [Goal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/goal/) [Goals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/goals/) [Health](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/health/) [Humans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humans/) [Restoration](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/restoration/)

## Related quotes

> [“motivation for not eating meat and dairy is to maintain optimal health, not to rid myself of the obsession and compulsion that are the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-peirce-thompson/motivation-for-not-eating-meat-and-dairy-is-to-maintain-optimal/)

Susan Peirce Thompson

> [“If you aim for personal or professional success, remember that health should be the first goal to accomplish...it's about being active..and always stress-free”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marta-tuchowska/if-you-aim-for-personal-or-professional-success-remember-that-health/)

Marta Tuchowska

> [The last thing you ever want to do is extend the period of frailty and disability and make people unhealthy for a longer time…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-jay-olshansky/the-last-thing-you-ever-want-to-do-is-extend-the-period-of-frailty/)

[S. Jay Olshansky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-jay-olshansky/)

> [There's no necessary connection between maximizing social utility or economic wealth and creating a flourishing democracy. The first does not guarantee the second. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-sandel/there-s-no-necessary-connection-between-maximizing-social-utility-or/)

[Michael Sandel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-sandel/)

> [I remember times when the whole music scene was just flourishing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roscoe-mitchell/i-remember-times-when-the-whole-music-scene-was-just-flourishing/)

[Roscoe Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roscoe-mitchell/)

> [Flourishing goes beyond happiness, or satisfaction with life. True, people who flourish are happy. But that's not the half of it. Beyond feeling good,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-fredrickson/flourishing-goes-beyond-happiness-or-satisfaction-with-life-true/)

[Barbara Fredrickson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-fredrickson/)

> [A mass of dust, world's momentary slave, Is man, in state of our old Adam made, Soon born to die, soon flourishing to fade.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barnabe-barnes/a-mass-of-dust-world-s-momentary-slave-is-man-in-state-of-our-old/)

Barnabe Barnes

> [“If they say you will fall, rise. If they say you will fail, succeed. If they say you will break, kept it together. If…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matshona-dhliwayo/if-they-say-you-will-fall-rise-if-they-say-you-will-fail-succeed-if/)

[Matshona Dhliwayo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matshona-dhliwayo/)

> [To create a world in which life can flourish and prosper we must replace the values and institutions of capitalism with values and institutions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-korten/to-create-a-world-in-which-life-can-flourish-and-prosper-we-must/)

[David Korten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-korten/)

> [Flourishing is everyone's birthright. I'm trying to break this hold that being smiley and cheery has on what people think the good life is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jurvetson/flourishing-is-everyone-s-birthright-i-m-trying-to-break-this-hold/)

[Steve Jurvetson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jurvetson/)

> [The heavens are now seen to resemble a luxuriant garden, which contains the greatest variety of productions, in different flourishing beds.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-herschel/the-heavens-are-now-seen-to-resemble-a-luxuriant-garden-which/)

[William Herschel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-herschel/)

> [“I’ve come to think that flourishing consists of putting yourself in situations in which you lose self-consciousness and become fused with other people, experiences,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-brooks/i-ve-come-to-think-that-flourishing-consists-of-putting-yourself-in/)

[David Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-brooks/)

> [The economic position is only flourishing on the surface. Germany is in fact dancing on a volcano. If the short-term credits are called in,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gustav-stresemann/the-economic-position-is-only-flourishing-on-the-surface-germany-is/)

[Gustav Stresemann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gustav-stresemann/)

> [No government can be strong and flourishing while the national character is weak and degraded. A government must flourish and decay with its subjects;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-robbins-curtis/no-government-can-be-strong-and-flourishing-while-the-national/)

[Benjamin Robbins Curtis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-robbins-curtis/)

> [A flourishing, morally credible media is a vital component in the maintenance of genuinely public talk, argument about common good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rowan-williams/a-flourishing-morally-credible-media-is-a-vital-component-in-the/)

[Rowan Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rowan-williams/)

## More by Michael Sandel

> [It is true that the Jewish tradition emphasizes the moral mandate to save life. It also has a different position from the Catholic Church…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-sandel/it-is-true-that-the-jewish-tradition-emphasizes-the-moral-mandate-to/)

[Michael Sandel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-sandel/)

> [If parents are aiming at choosing children who will be good athletes, or great musicians, or who will get into Ivy League schools, or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-sandel/if-parents-are-aiming-at-choosing-children-who-will-be-good-athletes/)

[Michael Sandel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-sandel/)

> [Aiming at giving our kids a competitive edge in a consumer society - that, in principle, is a goal that is limitless.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-sandel/aiming-at-giving-our-kids-a-competitive-edge-in-a-consumer-society/)

[Michael Sandel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-sandel/)

> [In natural pregnancy, more than half of fertilized eggs fail to implant or are otherwise lost. Should we regard that as an instance of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-sandel/in-natural-pregnancy-more-than-half-of-fertilized-eggs-fail-to/)

[Michael Sandel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-sandel/)

> [What I really want for my children is that they be loved and that they be happy and that they lead a good life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-sandel/what-i-really-want-for-my-children-is-that-they-be-loved-and-that/)

[Michael Sandel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-sandel/)

> [Economics has increasingly become the science of human behavior in general, and it's all the more unlikely to think that it can possibly be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-sandel/economics-has-increasingly-become-the-science-of-human-behavior-in/)

[Michael Sandel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-sandel/)

> [The relief of suffering is a great good. The curing of illness and disease - these are great human goods. This is the mission…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-sandel/the-relief-of-suffering-is-a-great-good-the-curing-of-illness-and/)

[Michael Sandel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-sandel/)

> [I do not argue that nature is sacrosanct in the sense that we must never tamper with nature. That would disempower, really, all of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-sandel/i-do-not-argue-that-nature-is-sacrosanct-in-the-sense-that-we-must/)

[Michael Sandel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-sandel/)

> [Today if you look at most economic textbooks, economics is not defined by subject matter. It's presented as a science of social choice that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-sandel/today-if-you-look-at-most-economic-textbooks-economics-is-not-defined/)

[Michael Sandel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-sandel/)

> [I do think it is very important that the religious communities do try to bring their teachings and their insights to bear on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-sandel/i-do-think-it-is-very-important-that-the-religious-communities-do-try/)

[Michael Sandel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-sandel/)

> [I am trying to get at the moral arguments and the ethical status of various attempts at enhancement, or genetic engineering, or the bid…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-sandel/i-am-trying-to-get-at-the-moral-arguments-and-the-ethical-status-of/)

[Michael Sandel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-sandel/)

> [To argue about justice is unavoidably to argue about virtues, about substantive moral and even spiritual questions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-sandel/to-argue-about-justice-is-unavoidably-to-argue-about-virtues-about/)

[Michael Sandel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-sandel/)

> [Very often when we aim at the best, or what we may think is the best for our children, we aim really at lesser…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-sandel/very-often-when-we-aim-at-the-best-or-what-we-may-think-is-the-best/)

[Michael Sandel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-sandel/)

> [Democracy does not require perfect equality, but it does require that citizens share a common life. What matters is that people of different backgrounds…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-sandel/democracy-does-not-require-perfect-equality-but-it-does-require-that/)

[Michael Sandel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-sandel/)

> [Parenthood is a school for humility. We can't choose the precise traits of our children, and that is morally important. It teaches us what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-sandel/parenthood-is-a-school-for-humility-we-can-t-choose-the-precise/)

[Michael Sandel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-sandel/)

[Explore all 66 Michael Sandel quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-sandel/)

## More Aim quotes

> [If you aim at nothing, you will hit it every time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zig-ziglar/if-you-aim-at-nothing-you-will-hit-it-every-time/)

[Zig Ziglar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zig-ziglar/)

> [A good aim surveys the present state of experience of pupils, and forming a tentative plan of treatment, keeps the plan constantly in view…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dewey/a-good-aim-surveys-the-present-state-of-experience-of-pupils-and/)

[John Dewey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dewey/)

> [The Christian man must aim at that complete obedience to God in which life finds its highest happiness, its greatest good, its perfect consummation,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-barclay/the-christian-man-must-aim-at-that-complete-obedience-to-god-in-which/)

[William Barclay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-barclay/)

> [ He \[an earnest young reporter\] seemed to share the view of many intelligent, well-educated, well-meaning people that, while adult literature may aim to be… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-paterson/he-an-earnest-young-reporter-seemed-to-share-the-view-of-many/)

[Katherine Paterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherine-paterson/)

> [In Bosnia, little children shot in the head by a guy who thinks it's okay to aim his gun at a child.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christiane-amanpour/in-bosnia-little-children-shot-in-the-head-by-a-guy-who-thinks-it-s/)

[Christiane Amanpour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christiane-amanpour/)

> [Design certainly has a cosmetic, aesthetic aim. It always aims at making things beautiful. But relevance is just as important. I often say, 'If…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yves-behar/design-certainly-has-a-cosmetic-aesthetic-aim-it-always-aims-at/)

[Yves Behar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yves-behar/)

> [My aim was to make money for the bank. You lose track of the amounts involved when you are engaged in this kind of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerome-kerviel/my-aim-was-to-make-money-for-the-bank-you-lose-track-of-the-amounts/)

[Jerome Kerviel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerome-kerviel/)

> [My only aim is to clock a time that everyone remembers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hima-das/my-only-aim-is-to-clock-a-time-that-everyone-remembers/)

[Hima Das](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hima-das/)

> [My main aim has always been to do good quality films with roles that have some substance. With Power and Beauty there were loads…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natasha-henstridge/my-main-aim-has-always-been-to-do-good-quality-films-with-roles-that/)

[Natasha Henstridge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natasha-henstridge/)

> [ I really enjoyed it - being involved in watching rushes and playback \[in "The Invisible Woman"\]. Ralph \[Fiennes\] was very open to my input,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/felicity-jones/i-really-enjoyed-it-being-involved-in-watching-rushes-and-playback-in/)

[Felicity Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/felicity-jones/)

> [My aim is to be counted among the top players.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/babar-azam/my-aim-is-to-be-counted-among-the-top-players/)

[Babar Azam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/babar-azam/)

> [The single aim of my life is that every child is: free to be a child, free to grow and develop, free to eat,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kailash-satyarthi/the-single-aim-of-my-life-is-that-every-child-is-free-to-be-a-child/)

[Kailash Satyarthi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kailash-satyarthi/)

> [The aim of good prose words is to mean what they say. The aim of good poetical words is to mean what they do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gilbert-k-chesterton/the-aim-of-good-prose-words-is-to-mean-what-they-say-the-aim-of-good/)

[Gilbert K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gilbert-k-chesterton/)

> [Prescribing hard work for the soft, or easy work for the hardy, is generally nonsense. What is always needed in any aim is right…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/idries-shah/prescribing-hard-work-for-the-soft-or-easy-work-for-the-hardy-is/)

[Idries Shah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/idries-shah/)

> [To be normal is the ultimate aim of the unsuccessful.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-jung/to-be-normal-is-the-ultimate-aim-of-the-unsuccessful/)

[Carl Jung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-jung/)

Browse all 3,047 Aim quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "Aiming at health, restoring health - that is a goal that is both morally important and limited, because it aims at the restoration of normal human functioning, which is an important part of human flourishing.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Michael Sandel"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-sandel/aiming-at-health-restoring-health-that-is-a-goal-that-is-both-morally/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Aim"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-sandel/aiming-at-health-restoring-health-that-is-a-goal-that-is-both-morally/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/06d/michael-sandel-10344_aim_aiming-at-health-restoring-health-that-i_2462771.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/06d/michael-sandel-10344_aim_aiming-at-health-restoring-health-that-i_2462771.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/06d/michael-sandel-10344_aim_aiming-at-health-restoring-health-that-i_2462771.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Aiming at health, restoring health - that is a goal that is both morally important and limited, because it…” — Michael Sandel",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Michael Sandel",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-sandel/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Aiming at health, restoring health -...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-sandel/aiming-at-health-restoring-health-that-is-a-goal-that-is-both-morally/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-sandel/aiming-at-health-restoring-health-that-is-a-goal-that-is-both-morally/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
