Author:
Byrne, Peter, 1950-
Imprint:New York : St. Martin's Press, 2000.
Descriptionxiii, 175 p. ; 23 cm.
Bibliography Note:Includes bibliographical references (p. 167-172) and index.
Note:Byrne (King's College, UK) defines the "cognitively disabled" as those who lack the capacity to learn and understand and thus fail to develop those intellectual, linguistic, and social skills that members of the species normally have. Vigorously committed to the moral equality of all human beings, he critiques utilitarian and contract views, which, unlike ordinary moral sense, fail to recognize that the foundation of respect is in relationship rather than possession of some special property. For difficult decisions about euthanasia, he defends a "best interests" criterion that rests on the notion that one must not keep someone alive only that they "may undergo a life of torment." Byrne also argues that to accept policies of nonconception in order to prevent the occurrence of cognitively disabled infants is "not to endorse genocide or negative attitudes towards existing disabled people." Theological ethics, though discussed, are deemed inadequate because they also focus on property possession as the basis for value. This new approach to the ethical challenges of mental handicap is worthy of attention. -- Choice review
Note:Recommended in Best Books for Academic Libraries
