Aaron Antonovsky (1923-1994): The Personal, Ideological, and Intellectual Genesis of Salutogenesis

Abstract

This chapter is of particular importance in the handbook. Written by Aaron Antonovsky’s son Avishai Antonovsky, and by one of his closest colleagues and former PhD student, Shifra Sagy, this chapter provides the first biography of the founding father of salutogenesis. The authors share their insight regarding the development of the salutogenic idea, by drawing lines connecting it to the person Aaron Antonovsky was. They were very close to Aaron for several decades, and their familiarity with his background contributes to understanding the development of salutogenesis. They shed some light on Aaron’s personal experiences, ideological beliefs, and professional development throughout his life, until the crystallization of the salutogenic idea.