Nar det å være til er nok: Et profesjonsetisk blikk på menneskeverd og sårbarhet.

Abstract

Questions regarding dignity and moral worth of children and adults with profound intellectual disability are hugely contested and discussed. An implicit dimension in these discussions is whether a life with disability is worth as much as a life without. Healthcare and social care workers need to reflect upon fundamental values, which can inform good care practises, enhance dignity, and secure the welfare of all citizens. In this chapter, the theological text Gift of Being is used as a stepping stone together with relevant theoretical perspectives related to care, philosophy agency and rationality to shed light on professional ethics and care practices with persons with profound intellectual disability. A language of care that emphasizes relational understandings of disability, common human vulnerability and human diversity regarding persons with profound intellectual disability is advocated. Furthermore, the language of care needs to bring forward understandings of agency and citizenship as embodied phenomena rather than rational ones.