Rights not restrictions for learning disabled adults: a response to Spiecker and Steutel

What follows is a response to an article by Spiecker and Steutel in which they pose the question of whether sex between people with "mental retardation" (sic) is morally permissible and in which they argue that since many such people cannot give "valid consent", the additional consent of caretakers may be required. However, we argue that the term "mental retard" is offensive and that either the UK terminology ("the learning disabled") or the internationally accepted term ("intellectually disabled") are more acceptable. Moreover, we point out that Spiecker and Steutel are mistaken. Many "learning disabled" people can and do give "valid consent". In any case, their question is itself dubious. Why should two learning disabled people who want to have sex together need anyone else's consent? In addition, we briefly address the rights of the learning disabled to the same sexual freedom as others, on the one hand, and to freedom from sexual exploitation on the other hand. Finally, we consider the implications of these issues for moral education. We suggest that carers need to develop empathy and, where necessary, advocacy skills. We point to the existence of training programmes on sexuality and protection issues.     

A sex police for adults with "mental retardation"? Comment on Spiecker and Steutel

This article is a rebuttal of the claim by Spiecker and Steutel that sex between people with mild and moderate "mental retardation" is morally permissable only with the substitutive consent of caregivers. After a review of historical, empirical and practical considerations, an ethical analysis is undertaken which concludes that Spiecker and Steutel's arguments are deeply flawed and their proposed policy morally objectionable.     

人际圈理论在智力落后儿童性心理健康教育中的应用

智力落后儿童由于自身的缺陷,在成长中会遇到很多有关性的问题的困扰,因此性教育应当成为智力落后教育中的重要领域。国外学者所提出的“人际圈理论”对于促进智力落后儿童形成正确的心理-社会性适应能力有着积极的意义。“人际圈理论”按照亲密关系将与个体生活关系不同的人群分别安排在不同距离的同心圆中,并且用不同的颜色代表个体应该采取的合适行为,可以帮助智力落后者直观地习得正确的社会交往行为。     

Paedophilia,Sexual Desire and Perversity

Abstract

In our society adults who are guilty of having sex with prepubescent children often have a paedophile disposition. This paper first criticises the justifications that are given by paedophiles for having sex with children. Part of this criticism is a brief analysis of “sexual desire” and “erotic”. Next, the question is raised whether paedophile activities can ever be morally permissible. Using the principles of mutual consent and non‐exploitation as touchstone, the question is answered in the negative. Finally, it is examined whether paedophile desires can be regarded as perverse. In order to deal with this issue a moral conception of perversions is proposed.     

The effects of off-campus service learning on the moral reasoning of college students

This response argues that Greenspan's comment is basically incoherent, and that the position taken by Leicester and Cooke has unacceptable practical consequences. Greenspan admits that many people with 'mental retardation' lack adult decision-making capacities, but at the same time assumes that they have these very capacities in assigning them freedom rights. Leicester and Cooke consistently argue that people with 'mental retardation' do have adult reasoning powers and therefore should be given freedom rights. But this position has the rather disquieting implication that both the practice of treating 'mental retardation' as an exempting condition and the practice of giving them important special welfare rights seem to loose their justification.     

Sex education,state policy and the principle of mutual consent

Constitutive of the prevalent sexual morality in most Western European countries is the liberal principle of mutual consent (PMC). This sociological fact may give rise to the ethical question as to whether or not the state has the right to make sure that its citizens will observe PMC, among other ways by prescribing some form of sex education which has PMC as its moral content. With reference to the ambiguity of the term ‘morally permissible’, it is argued that PMC can be interpreted in two fundamentally different ways, namely, as the freedom to arrange one's sexual life according to one's own values and preferences (PMC(a)) or as the view that consensual sex is morally all right or morally unobjectionable (PMC(b)). The claim is defended that PMC(a) should be taken as part of the public morality, whereas PMC(b) should be seen as a private morality. Accordingly, the state has the right to take PMC(a) as a basis for its educational policy, but the state is not allowed to prescribe any form of sex education that has PMC(b) as its moral content. The importance of the distinction between PMC(a) and PMC(b) is shown by giving an evaluation of the Dutch state's responses to recent public statements of orthodox religious leaders about the moral status of homosexuality. Also on the basis of this distinction, the central differences between liberal orthodox and fundamentalist orthodox religious views on sexuality and the role of the state are pointed out. In this connection, it is argued that any view which takes PMC(b) as part of the public morality should be disavowed as a kind of ‘liberal funda‐ mentalism’.     

Professional and family responses to mental retardation in East Bengal and Bangladesh, 1770s-1990s

Since the 1770s, formal knowledge about conditions later known as mental retardation (learning difficulties/disabilities) slowly accumulated with civil administrators, physicians, psychologists and teachers in East Bengal/Bangladesh. Factors in this growth of knowledge are reviewed. Most people with mental retardation and their families managed without professional advice. Some children with mental retardation were casually integrated in ordinary schools. Rooted in local cultures and concepts, the accumulated knowledge and experience of both families and professionals should be recognised, formulated and used in modern disability service planning. It risks being obscured by imported knowledge having greater prestige but less relevance.     

Pieces of the Puzzle: Measuring the Personal Competence and Support Needs of Persons With Intellectual Disabilities

Theoretical and empirical efforts to develop valid methods by which to identify people with mental retardation and related disabilities have been underway for approximately 100 years. Recently, there is a growing consensus that mental retardation is best conceptualized as significant limitations in the multidimensional construct of personal competence. In addition to physical competence, personal competence is conceptualized to include, at the broadest level of conceptualization, the domains of conceptual, practical, and social intelligence. Due to limitations in personal competence, the defining characteristic of persons with mental retardation is an ongoing need for types and intensities of support that most others in society do not require. Current models of personal competence are described and the types of measurement tools available to measure essential dimensions of personal competence are discussed. Additionally, a systematic approach is described for assessing support needs and developing plans to meet these needs.     

再论智力障碍概念的演化及其实践意义

20年来智力障碍定义发生了重要的演变。第一次转变是从1983年的定义系统转变为1992年的定义系统,这次转变是将智力障碍从一个人的固有特性转变为一个人能力与环境相互作用的功能状态;并提出了按支持程度分类的新系统;第二次转变是在第一次转变基础上继续强调从5个维度来为智力障碍者提供支持,提供个人功能状态,最终提高他们的生活质量。智力障碍定义的演化改变了人们智力障碍的观念,对智力障碍的分类系统、教育和成人康复实践产生了重要影响。     

Reasonable paternalism and the limits of sexual freedom: a response to Greenspan and Leicester and Cooke

This response argues that Greenspan's comment is basically incoherent, and that the position taken by Leicester and Cooke has unacceptable practical consequences. Greenspan admits that many people with 'mental retardation' lack adult decision-making capacities, but at the same time assumes that they have these very capacities in assigning them freedom rights. Leicester and Cooke consistently argue that people with 'mental retardation' do have adult reasoning powers and therefore should be given freedom rights. But this point has the rather disquieting implication that both the practice of treating 'mental retardation' as an exempting condition and the practice of giving them important special welfare rights seem to loose their justification.     

浅谈幼师生青春期性教育的“堵”与“疏”

青少年在青春期发育过程中 ,由于身体发育和心理发展、性知识的掌握的不同步 ,导致青少年在青春发育期产生情感困惑和性困惑 ,这是摆在我们教育工作者面前一个不可忽视的严重问题。性心理活动是学生 (主要分析女性学生 )成长的必经过程 ,但社会、家庭及传统的婚育观、教育观中的负面影响却不利于学生性心理的健康发展。这需要学校、教师探索积极地学生情感教育的途径 ,帮助正处于花季的少年走出青春期情感困惑的泥潭 ,走向成熟     

尊重人——邓小平"以人为本"思想的出发点

邓小平生前虽然没有使用过“以人为本”的概念,但其思想深处却体现了尊重人、关心人与理解人的高风亮节。尤其是对人的尊重,体现在各个方面,较好地实践着“以人为本”的思想理念。在改革开放与现代化建设的新时期,继承与发扬邓小平的尊重人的思想,对于密切党群关系与防止执政党及党员的蜕化变质,对于建设社会主义和谐社会具有重大的现实意义。     

西方列强与《上海停战协定》

“一·二八”事变爆发后 ,中国政府推行“一面抵抗 ,一面交涉”的政策 ,不断寻求西方列强的同情和支持 ,希望列强介入、干涉中日军事冲突 ,借助列强的力量对抗日本。列强也曾出现于事变的前前后后 ,起到了一定作用。但西方列强没有真正尊重中国的主权和领土完整。《上海停战协定》对中国来说仍然是不平等条约。半殖民地的中国依赖外国势力维护自己的权益是极其困难的     

"中国模式"的哲学意蕴

“中国模式”概念的提出,为研究我国社会发展提供了新的视角。中国模式不仅包括我国现代化建设成功的实践经验,而且包括党在各个时期先进的发展理念,具有丰富的哲学意蕴。在历史观层面上,中国特色的发展模式,体现了社会发展合规律性和合目的性的统一;在认识论层面上,注重全面、协调和可持续发展的发展模式,体现了系统思维的基本原则;在价值论层面上,以人为本的发展模式,体现了价值关怀的理想与现实的统一。     

论"共同富裕"

共同富裕是建设中国特色社会主义道路上的重大理论和实践问题.共同富裕是社会主义的根本原则,是实现最广大人民的根本利益和全面建设小康社会的最终目标.     

克己复礼,天下归仁——孔子社会思想的核心

仁和礼是孔子社会思想最重要的概念和范畴。其社会思想的核心就是“克己复礼,天下归仁”。在孔子那里,这两个概念都有不同层次的多重内涵,而在最高层次上,它们是同一的,因此不能说哪一个概念更为根本。无论是仁还是礼,孔子都主要是针对社会上层而言的;“仁者爱人”中的仁者和所爱的人,都有特定的等级意义,并非泛指所有的人。如果排除仁和礼这两个基本概念,排除周代的社会规范即周礼,关于孔子的社会思想我们不能说出任何具体的有意义的东西来。     

Moral self-determination: The nature,existence, and formation of moral motivation

ABSTRACT

This paper addresses three basic questions about moral motivation. Concerning the nature of moral motivation, it argues that it involves responsiveness to both reasons of morality and the value of persons and everything else of value. Moral motivation is thus identified as reason-responsive appropriate valuing. Regarding whether it is possible for people to be morally motivated, the paper relies on Self-Determination Theory (SDT) to show how moral motivation is a likely product of education that is need-supportive in modeling appropriate valuing and engaging students in the kinds of reasoning that are essential to moral motivation. Virtuous motivation that inclines people to engage in morally motivated acts is equated with being morally self-determining or achieving the right kind of integrated motivation. SDT shows how people come to be morally motivated, and the paper concludes that an identified aspiration to be virtuous may play a significant role.     

论医疗患者的知情同意

知情同意是调整医患关系的基本准则。2009年颁布的《侵权责任法》在医疗损害责任中重点规定了知情同意制度。但因为我国整体医疗立法不足及传统观念的影响,人们尚未认识到知情同意在医患关系中的重要作用。分析知情同意权与知情权的区别,论述其在医患关系中的重要作用,以期促进知情同意制度的法律适用。     

论唐代仙道小说中的道教食色文化

唐代仙道小说中常表现出道教关注现实人生、重生恶死的宗教情怀。在封建社会鼎盛时期的唐代,仙道小说中蕴含着人们普遍追求享乐的食色文化心理;食色文化是对唐代士人在仕途、婚姻的现实选择中所作的心理补偿和人生抚慰。     

生态课程观视野下智障者的角色定位及其对教学的启示

智障者在课程中的角色问题一直是特殊教育争论的重点问题。本文从生态课程理论来探讨生态课程观下智障者的角色。指出在生态课程观下,智障者是课程目标的制定者、参与者;智障者不仅仅是消费者,更是生产者;智障者是环境的互动者、推动者;并对由此带来的教学启示也进行了探讨。