Dignity for the Cognitively Disabled

Killmister Suzy, Dr Suzy Killmister (University of Connecticut)

Abstract:

DIGNITY FOR THE COGNITIVELY DISABLED

Many theories of dignity - including one I've defended myself - have the unpalatable implication that individuals with severe cognitive disabilities lack dignity. Since dignity is commonly taken to be the feature in virtue of which individuals are owed basic forms of respect, this implication is one that should be resisted. In this paper I explore a novel way of including the severely cognitively disabled within the realm of dignity. The key move I propose involves a shift away from seeing dignity as a feature of persons held in virtue of their membership in the natural kind 'human', and towards seeing dignity as a feature of persons held in virtue of their membership in the social kind 'humanity'.