When we think of public health, we often picture patients, doctors, nurses, healthcare professionals, and medical facilities. However, this is only part of the picture. Public health operates within a 360-degree environment, which extends beyond these visible elements to include health policy and governance, laws, social dimensions, the environment, technology and data, societal and cultural factors, individual participation, education, and safety. Neglecting this comprehensive environment risks destabilizing public health. Though health can be conceptualized within this framework, it remains vulnerable to threats. A critical challenge within this environment is the potential to overlook the human element, leading to large-scale systems and plans that marginalize and exclude individuals—a risk that must be conscientiously avoided. When "the Other" is perceived as merely a "thing," "patient," "customer," "financial opportunity," or "a solution to problems," what emerges is a reductionist perspective that dehumanizes the individual. In such a framework, public health ethics lacks a solid foundation. This research seeks to analyze and critique this reductionist perspective on health ethics, drawing from the "Other"-centered views of Avicenna, the great philosopher of the Islamic world, and Emmanuel Levinas, the prominent French thinker. The methodology of this research employs a phenomenological approach, describing the lived experiences of public health and their intersection with ethics through the lens of Avicenna's and Levinas' philosophies. Avicenna's philosophy emphasizes that external factors such as reputation, status, outward behaviors, and age can obscure our perception of others. His views highlight the human tendency to be distracted by falsehoods and the joy derived from discerning truth. Levinas' concept of "the Other" as an infinite entity and a responsibility to be borne challenges us to transcend the self and recognize and respect the "Other" within a 360-degree environment. Together, their metaphysical perspectives provide a foundation for moving beyond the limitations of the self and fostering an ethical framework that perceives "the Other" in an infinite light. Policies, planning, management, and actions that reduce "the Other" to mere economic considerations inevitably lead to the marginalization of certain groups, such as rural or disadvantaged communities. This undermines efforts to achieve distributive justice, including providing essential medicines and healthcare services for all. Consequently, such an approach erodes public health ethics and reduces "public health" to "healthcare for those who can afford it." In our tradition, "the Other" is regarded as "God's family," irrespective of race, religion, social status, or other distinctions. A hadith states: "All human beings are the family (dependents and household) of God. Therefore, the most beloved person to God is the one who is beneficial and helpful to God's family and brings joy to the members of this household." This teaching underscores the need for healthcare providers, institutions, and policymakers to embrace the universal kinship of humanity. Without cultivating a mindset that transcends the self and embraces the infinite, public health remains incomplete. Without this shift, the sun of wellness will not shine equally on all, and hope will give way to despair. In this context, the "I" of the physician, the "I" of the healthcare worker, the "I" of the healthcare institution, the "I" of policy, and the "I" of processes and procedures risk devaluing, suppressing, or erasing "the Other" through reductionist thinking. This, in turn, leads to the erosion of the moral foundation of public health.
