The Life Worth Living: Disability, Pain, and Morality

The book "The Life Worth Living" challenges the ableist conflation of disability and pain by investigating the exclusion and discrimination of disabled people in Western moral philosophy. It argues that longstanding views of disability are misguided and unjust and presents a vision of an anti-ableist moral future.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 216 pages
Publication date: 17 May 2022
Publisher: University of Minnesota Press

More than 2,000 years ago, Aristotle uttered a profound statement that still resonates today: "Let there be a law that no deformed child shall live." This notion remains deeply ingrained in our society, even in the modern era. During the past century, prominent figures such as Supreme Court Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr. and philosopher Peter Singer have made controversial arguments advocating for the forced sterilization of intellectually disabled women and the right of parents to euthanize certain cognitively disabled infants.

The Life Worth Living delves into the persistence of these arguments by examining the exclusion and discrimination of disabled individuals throughout the history of Western moral philosophy. Joel Michael Reynolds, in this groundbreaking work, argues that this history perpetuates a fundamental mischaracterization of the meaning of disability, largely due to the conflation of lived experiences of disability with those of pain and suffering.

Drawing on decades of activism and scholarship in the field, Reynolds presents a compelling case that longstanding views of disability are misguided and unjust. He offers a vision of what an anti-ableist moral future entails, one that recognizes the inherent value and dignity of all individuals, regardless of their physical or cognitive abilities.

The Life Worth Living stands as the first sustained examination of disability through the lens of the history of moral philosophy and phenomenology. It demonstrates how the lived experiences of disability demand a far more comprehensive account of human flourishing, embodiment, community, and politics in philosophical inquiry and beyond. By challenging the ableist conflation of disability and pain, this book offers a valuable contribution to our understanding of the human condition and the urgent need for a more inclusive and equitable society.

Weight: 276g
Dimension: 140 x 215 x 18 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781517907785