Religious Studies Faculty Publications

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

1-2015

Publication Source

Journal of Moral Theology

Abstract

Does technology enable those who are disabled to be fuller members of society, or does it ultimately seek to eradicate disability and so promote a kind of eugenics against those who are disabled? In the late 1990s and early 2000s, literature and debate on this question ran rampant. A common example is that of cochlear implants, which endured much debate at the time within the Deaf community regarding whether they eradicate an impairment— or whether implants actually do away with entire communities of the Deaf and thus displace an important minority culture. Yet, very little is written today on this question. Is it because the question is settled, or because we have become satisfied with the presumed answers? (Answers which, repeatedly, tend to be: decisions regarding cochlear implants should be left up to patients, focused on their autonomy, and almost entirely avoiding the more troublesome question of whether a culture is being eradicated.)

Inclusive pages

90-110

ISBN/ISSN

2166-2851

Document Version

Published Version

Comments

Document is made available for download in compliance with the journal's copyright transfer agreement and with the permission of the author. Permission documentation is on file. Browse the journal.

Publisher

Mount St. Mary's University

Volume

4

Issue

1

Peer Reviewed

yes

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