In this engaging discussion, Shelley Tremain, a feminist philosopher specializing in disability, dives deep into the intersection of Foucault's theories and feminist philosophy. She critiques the marginalization of disability in academic discourse and highlights the need for diverse perspectives. Tremain introduces the 'apparatus of disability,' challenging traditional views and emphasizing societal constructs over individual conditions. She also explores the power dynamics within bioethics and advocates for a broader, more inclusive understanding of disability, intertwined with various identity factors.
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question_answer ANECDOTE
Career Discouragement
Shelley Tremain was discouraged from studying disability by a fellow philosopher.
This philosopher warned her it would hinder her job prospects.
insights INSIGHT
Philosophy's Perceived Neutrality
Philosophy often presents itself as neutral and objective.
However, it actually promotes specific viewpoints and marginalizes others.
insights INSIGHT
Disability as Disadvantage
Mainstream philosophy often views disability as a natural disadvantage needing a cure or prevention.
This medicalized view has dominated since Rawls' 1971 book.
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In 'A Theory of Justice,' John Rawls develops a moral theory of justice as fairness, which is an alternative to utilitarianism. The theory is based on the social contract approach and uses the concept of the original position and the veil of ignorance to derive two principles of justice. The first principle, the greatest equal liberty principle, ensures that each person has an equal right to the most extensive total system of equal basic liberties compatible with a similar system of liberty for all. The second principle, which includes the difference principle and the equal opportunity principle, states that social and economic inequalities are to be arranged so that they are to the greatest benefit of the least advantaged and attached to offices and positions open to all under conditions of fair equality of opportunity. Rawls's theory aims to reconcile liberty and equality in a well-ordered society.
Foucault and Feminist Philosophy of Disability
Addresses misrepresentations of Foucault’s work within feminist philosophy and disability studies, offering a new feminist philosophy of disability
Shelley Tremain
Shelley Tremain's "Foucault and Feminist Philosophy of Disability" offers a critical examination of how disability is understood and addressed within philosophy and society. The book challenges traditional philosophical assumptions about neutrality and objectivity, arguing that these concepts often mask power dynamics and marginalization. Tremain integrates feminist perspectives and Foucault's work on power to analyze the ways in which disability is constructed and how this construction impacts disabled individuals. She explores the exclusion of disabled philosophers from the discipline and the marginalization of critical work on disability. The book ultimately calls for a reconceptualization of disability, moving away from medicalized and individualized views.
How should we understand disability? In Foucault and Feminist Philosophy of Disability (University of Michigan Press, 2017), Dr. Shelley Tremain explores this complex question from the perspective of feminist philosophy, using the work of Michel Foucault. The book is a fascinating critique of much contemporary philosophy and policy, providing a detailed, but easy to follow overview of key works in feminism and in Foucault’s thought. The book places these discussions in the context of inequalities within academic philosophy itself, drawing attention to the marginalisation of key questions of disability and gender from contemporary philosophy as it is currently organised. Overall the book is important reading not only for disability studies and philosophy, but anyone wanting to understand how society disadvantages difference. You can read more of Dr. Tremain’s work, and key debates on philosophy and disability as part of the Discrimination and Disadvantage blog.
New Books in Disability Studies 
