Defending deaf culture: The case of cochlear implants

Journal of Political Philosophy 13 (2):135–152 (2005)
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Abstract

The cochlear implant controversy involves questions about the nature of disability and the definition of “normal” bodies; it also raises arguments about the nature and significance of culture and the rights of minority cultures. I defend the claim that there might be such a thing as “Deaf culture” and then examine how two different understandings of the role of culture in the lives of individuals can lead to different conclusions about the rights of Deaf parents in relation to their children, and about the ethics of public funding for research on cochlear implants. An argument asserting the rights of minority cultures to equal respect and consideration within a multicultural society, informed by communitarian political philosophy, offers the best prospect for the defence of the unique culture(s) of the Deaf.

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Robert Sparrow
Monash University

References found in this work

Deafness, culture, and choice.N. Levy - 2002 - Journal of Medical Ethics 28 (5):284-285.

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