ABSTRACT
The exclusion of persons 'lacking reason' from notions of belonging is founded on a specific understanding of society and on a related conception of the subject. The motivation behind Locke's subjection of individuals seen as cognitively inferior to 'patriarchal rule' is that these fail to meet the requirements of what is distinctively human. It is important to note that the relationship between reason and exclusion is much more than a historical artefact but rather a structure that recurs in political thinking that starts from a definition of personhood as reason, autonomy, or deliberation. Intellectual disability disrupts Rawls's notions of personhood and mutual advantage, which, in turn, means that the handling of this group requires a supplement. The politics of recognition is one of the prime contenders to liberalism and social contract theory, challenging both assumptions of an autonomous and rational subject and substantial political ideals of liberal justice.
