ABSTRACT
Practical philosophy concerns a fundamental question that is relevant to the ethics of disability. What is the best or right way for people to live as individuals or in community? Ethics or moral philosophy is concerned traditionally with the behaviour of individuals, whereas political philosophy is involved with the best way of organising society. Both aspects impinge on the everyday life of the disabled person. Since the Enlightenment moral philosophy has become fragmented and emotivism has emerged as a dominant feature in personal morality (Macintyre, 1985). A similar situation prevails with theories of justice and the rationality that underpins them (Macintyre, 1988). This presents serious difficulty when debating ethical aspects of health care; agreement or disagreement may be disconnected from any common framework.
