Abstract

On May 12th., 1997, Juan Alfonso Samaja Toro defended his doctoral thesis entitled "Epistemological Grounds of Health Sciences" in the "Sérgio Arouca" National Public Health School at the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, in Rio de Janeiro, under the guidance of Maria Cecília de Souza Minayo. In that occasion, as a full Committee member, I presented the comments transcribed here exactly as they were made back then. Samaja, who was a philosopher, sociologist and graduate in Public Health, and worked as a professor in several universities in Argentina and other Latin American countries, died in February 3rd., 2007, leaving an intellectual legacy of vital importance for collective health.