Philosophy 242 MEDICAL ETHICS SUM2014, M-F, 9:40-10:40, SAV 156 INSTRUCTOR: BENJAMIN HOLE OFFICE HOURS: M-F, 10:40-11  EMAIL: BVHOLE@UW.EDU

Agenda Clicker Quiz Paper writing questions? Sparrow, “Defending Deaf Culture” Please set your Turning Technology Clicker to channel 41 Press “Ch”, then “41”, then “Ch”

Sparrow argues that since deafness is not a disability, it is uncontroversial that CIs are wrong. True False

Which of the following is NOT a cultural model discussed by Sparrow? Liberal model Conservative model Communitarian model Egalitarian model A&B B&D

Liberal Communitarian Both Neither The following quote describes which model? “culture is essentially an instrumental good; it is good by virtue of its role in securing other goods, namely self-respect and a context of choice that allows individuals to pursue their own notions of the good.” Liberal Communitarian Both Neither

Paper Writing Common Problems Argumentative Structure Explanation Moving Forward Outlines Critical Summaries Use Canvas “comments” feature

Final Paper (35%)

Robert Sparrow Issue “Cochlear implant technology represents an attack on the culture of the Deaf, because it seeks to ensure that deaf children grow up to use a spoken language rather than the signed languages of the Deaf.” Sparrow “My purpose in this paper will to be defend the claim that there might be such a thing as “Deaf culture” and then to 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.” Picture from: https://monash.edu/research/people/profiles/profile.html?sid=6739&pid=3887

Is deafness a disability? “it is problematic for hearing persons to continue to insist that it constitutes a disability.” “Of course it remains true that deafness can result in tremendous disadvantage in this society. But as disability rights activists have argued, the key phrase in this sentence is ‘in this society.’”

Deafness is a disability. Strongly Agree Agree Somewhat Agree Neutral Somewhat Disagree Disagree Strongly Disagree

Disability and “Normal” Functioning “Conditions of deafness involve the development of new or enhanced sensory modes” What is “normal”? “It would be easy, for instance, to construct an example where either men or women are disadvantaged in relation to some aspect of a given environment.” Response 1 Response 2

Deafness as culture? Controversial Many controversial features, on a continuum Deaf culture satisfies some features What is culture? Definition

Deaf Culture & Cochlear Implants (CIs) Even if deafness is a culture and not a disability, CIs are controversial for two reasons: Paternalism and cultural identity Deaf culture is unique

Two models of culture “culture is essentially an instrumental good; it is good by virtue of its role in securing other goods, namely self-respect and a context of choice that allows individuals to pursue their own notions of the good.” Instrumental, provide broad context of choice “although culture remains an instrumental good, the good that it is instrumental in achieving is a particular conception of how a human life is best lived. Each culture therefore makes possible (a) different good(s).” Instrumental , provide context of choice to secure cultural goods Liberal Communitarian

Objections to CIs Imperfect CIs risk being trapped between two cultures. Liberal: fewer choices Communitarian: less value Imperfect CIs risk being trapped between two cultures. Liberal Model: fewer choices Communitarian Model: less value Bionic Ears Liberal might seem to favor BEs because the hearing world would offer a broader context for choice; but this might not be the case from a deaf culture perspective … Communitarian objection from the perspective of deaf culture (based on deaf culture values) but hearing culture would disagree passed on their values while this model would allow parents to choose either culture, bionic ears would inevitably kill deaf culture

Public Funding and Bionic Ears Distributive Justice and Access to Healthcare Public Funding and Bionic Ears

Robert Sparrow “When the government decides to devote substantial resources to the development of a technology that will allow some parents to ensure that their children avoid growing up as members of a particular culture (and which will thereby lead to the extinction of this culture), this clearly demonstrates a hostility to the values of the culture and a lack of respect for its members.”

Robert Sparrow Not funding public research for CIs values deaf culture over hearing culture Narrower context for choice in eliminating deaf cultural values and experiences “Deaf culture is clearly threatened with destruction if a bionic ear is developed. Hearing culture(s) face no threat if it is not. Any public funding for research into a bionic ear therefore expresses a lack of respect for the Deaf, in a way that a refusal to fund it does not express a lack of respect for hearing culture(s).” Objection Responses

There should be public funding for bionic ears Strongly Agree Agree Somewhat Agree Neutral Somewhat Disagree Disagree Strongly Disagree