Inclusive Ethics

'Inclusive Ethics' brings together two ideas which are part of our everyday morality, namely that we have a moral reason to benefit or do good to other beings, and that justice requires these benefits to be distributed equally. Ingmar Persson explores the difficulties of accepting a morality which combines both of these principles.

Inclusive Ethics begins from two ideas which are part of our everyday morality, namely that we have a moral reason to benefit or do good to other beings, and that justice requires these benefits to be distributed equally. A morality comprising these two general principles will be exceedingly hard to apply as these principles will have to be balanced against each in an intuitive fashion, but also because the notion of what benefits beings is quite complex, comprising both experiential components of pleasure and successful exercises of autonomy. Ingmar Persson argues that, on philosophical reflection, these ideas turn out to be more far-reaching than we imagine. In particular, the reason to benefit commits us to benefit beings by bringing them into existence. Further, since grounds that are commonly used to justify that some are better off than others - such as their being more deserving or having rights to more - are untenable, justice requires a more extensive equality. The book concludes by reflecting on the problems of getting people to accept a morality which differs markedly from the morality with which they have grown up.

Inclusive Ethics begins from two ideas which are part of our everyday morality, namely that we have a moral reason to benefit or do good to other beings, and that justice requires these benefits to be distributed equally. A morality comprising these two general principles will be exceedingly hard to apply as these principles will have to be balanced against each in an intuitive fashion, but also because the notion of what benefits beings is quite complex, comprising both experiential components of pleasure and successful exercises of autonomy. Ingmar Persson argues that, on philosophical reflection, these ideas turn out to be more far-reaching than we imagine. In particular, the reason to benefit commits us to benefit beings by bringing them into existence. Further, since grounds that are commonly used to justify that some are better off than others - such as their being more deserving or having rights to more - are untenable, justice requires a more extensive equality. The book concludes by reflecting on the problems of getting people to accept a morality which differs markedly from the morality with which they have grown up.

This volume focuses on professional ethics and the moral dimensions of inclusive education. Grounded in an examination of international conceptualizations of ethics and inclusion, this book will provide a comprehensive analysis of current understandings of professional ethics in the context of inclusive education.

The Ethics of Inclusive Education clarifies the idea of inclusion and its normative content, and presents a coherent theoretical framework for inclusion and inclusive education. It serves as one of the first extended philosophical defenses in the field of inclusive education that goes beyond a simple assertion of educational value. Integrating perspectives from the history, sociology and psychology of inclusive education, this book develops a holistic concept of inclusion, while clearly and systematically examining the ethical-normative content of inclusive education. It also offers: an interdisciplinary analysis of inclusion and inclusive schooling, ranging from historical to sociological analysis of their predecessors and preconditions, to the investigation of their philosophical and educational content, an in-depth analysis of the moral significance of exclusion, the value of inclusion and inclusive education from an analytical point of view, and practice-oriented investigations of the individual and social conditions for inclusion and inclusive education. The Ethics of Inclusive Education serves researchers, practitioners and politicians, to make key educational decisions about how to understand, explore or realize inclusive educational aims, especially with respect to disability and special needs.

The recent move towards inclusive education has radically influenced the way educational research is conducted. Students need to become aware of the critical legal and ethical responsibilities that arise from investigation in this new and expanding area. Written from the standpoint of inclusive education, rather than 'special education', this carefully edited collection of readings from a wide variety of sources, will develop the student's ability to: * identify and respond to ethical dilemmas that occur within their particular research methodologies and settings. * respond appropriately to the myriad of complex legal issues that are pertinent to their own work The contributions to this book draw upon examples of inclusive practices from around the world. Students taking postgraduate courses or diplomas in Inclusive education will find this an invaluable read.

The imperative to include children and young people in educational research, and in more participative ways, is educationally important when exploring policy and practice contexts. It is also critical to recognise that children have the right to contribute to debates, and can express their views through educational research, on matters that affect them. However, the freedom to research alongside young people is only afforded if we continue to unmask the illusion that well-intentioned research is always ethical. This book presents an international set of storied experiences, where researchers have been challenged and have changed the way they think, incorporating and exploring ethics in research. The contributors highlight the ethical dilemmas that can arise when children and young people are included in research agendas, and their reflexive approaches to these dilemmas include being responsive to the cultural, political and social contexts of the lives of the children and developing child-friendly research approaches to ensure their ‘voice’ is accessed in multiple ways. These solution-focused and local approaches facilitate a more ethical, deliberative process where the establishment of trust is central to an ethical engagement with young people and their families and where the explication of ethical dilemmas can improve research practice. This book is a critical resource for researchers and practitioners researching with and alongside children and young people. This book was originally published as a special issue of the International Journal of Inclusive Education.