absolutism The view that there are some types of action that are strictly prohibited by morality, no matter what the specific facts are in a particular case. Some have held, for example, that the intentional torturing or killing of an innocent person is morally impermissible no matter what bad consequences could be prevented by such an action. Absolutism is an especially strict kind of deontolo...

Correspondence to: Professor F Baum, Department of Public Health, Flinders University, GPO Box 2100, Adelaide 5001; fran.baum@ flinders.edu.au . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P articipatory action research (PAR) differs from most other approaches to public health research because it is based on reflection, data collection, and action that aims to improve health and reduce health i...