Book Review:Disability Bioethics: Moral Bodies, Moral Difference (Feminist Constructions)

August 4, 2009

This book operates at the intersection of three debates: bioethics; biomedicine; and disability/Deaf studies. It is an excellent introduction for bioethicists and others who are unfamiliar with the challenge posed by disability studies. Scully challenges thinkers to take bodies seriously, and different bodies in particular, by which she encompasses both gender and disability: “the claim of this book is that impaired or disabled embodiment is worth closer attention” (9). Assumptions about normality are closely scrutinized. At the same time, she also challenges disability studies to take bioethics seriously, giving an object lesson in how to engage with challenging authors, rather than simply rejecting them. (Metapsychology)