Elizabeth Barnes argues compellingly that disability is primarily a social phenomenon-a way of being a minority, a way of facing social oppression, but not a way of being inherently or intrinsically worse off. This is how disability is understood in the Disability Rights and Disability Pride movements; but there is a massive disconnect with the way disability is typically viewed within analytic philosophy. The idea that disability is not inherently bad or sub-optimal is one that many philosophers treat with open skepticism, and sometimes even with scorn. The goal of this book is to articulate and defend a version of the view of disability that is common in the Disability Rights movement. Elizabeth Barnes argues that to be physically disabled is not to have a defective body, but simply to have a minority body.
Elizabeth Barnes is Professor of Philosophy at the University of Virginia. She works on metaphysics, ethics, and social and feminist philosophy-and is especially interested in the places where these areas overlap.
Title: The Minority Body: A Theory of Disability (Studies in Feminist Philosophy)
Author: Barnes, Elizabeth
ISBN: 9780198822417
Binding:
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Publication Date: 2018-11-08
Number of Pages: 224
Weight: 0.2601 kg
I am happy to unequivocally say that this text makes a fascinating and groundbreaking contribution to feminist and disability philosophy. I would enthusiastically recommend this text to anyone interested in disability and philosophy, and especially to those new to philosophy. * Tessa-May Zirnsak, Metapsychology Online Reviews *
Elizabeth Barnes' new book offers a much-needed philosophical discussion of disability capitalizing on relevant research in bioethics, feminist philosophy and disability studies. * Elena Fell and Natalia Lukianova, The Philosophical Quarterly *
Elizabeth Barnes has written an interesting and important book about disability . . . Barnes has brought a new level of precision to a popular slogan and has then set about defending it with all the familiar tools of contemporary analytic philosophy . . . it remains to be seen where the debate goes next, but wherever it goes, future discussion will need to engage with the work of Elizabeth Barnes. * Jennifer Hawkins, Ethics *
It is a thoughtful, thorough, and rigorous argument that nevertheless has an accessible style. It is not a book for a generalist audience, but could work quite readily in both undergraduate and graduate courses. Her attempt to moderate a path between the physical body and social constructivism, and to combat a generalized skepticism in the field of philosophy about the possibility that disability might be a good thing for some people, or at least a neutral thing, that lives of disabled persons are generally as rich, valuable, and worth living as those of nondisabled persons, and that such skepticism is rooted in-often knee-jerk unreflective-stereotypes about what disabled lives are like is an unapologetic and strong case for disability positivity. It is a valuable contribution to disability philosophy in particular, and philosophy in general. * Nancy J. Hirschmann, Hypatia Reviews *
The Minority Body is a fascinating and compelling study of the concept of disability. Barnes redefines disability as a social phenomenon in a fresh way. Her revolutionary ideas compel us to look at the minority body without making value-judgments. * The Washington Book Review *
In her engaging, powerfully argued, and good-humored book, Barnes seeks to illuminate the nature of physical disability, challenge the view that it has a negative impact on well-being, and defend a mere-difference view of disability . . . it is a wildly creative, rigorous, and ground-breaking work that represents a significant contribution to the on-going inquiry into the nature and value of disability. It would not be an exaggeration to claim that it is the most important single-authored book in philosophy of disability to come out of the analytic tradition in a generation. * Stephen M. Campbell & Joseph A. Stramondo, Notre Dame Philosophical Review *
