Chiara Montalti e Brunella Casalini, Introduction. A Cartography of Philosophy on/of Disability

Introduction to the special Issue on Philosophy on/of disability. The introduction shows how disability elicits a very diverse platform of debate for philosophers. It also introduces the selected essays that span from ancient philosophy to contemporary philosophy. Their approaches are also significantly varied, intending to show exactly what is mentioned throughout the Introduction; even though applied ethics, moral philosophy, and theories of justice can be useful starting points to discuss disability, as valuable essays here demonstrate, other areas of philosophy should not be outdone. The selected essays propose epistemological insights, both on disciplines (Disability Studies, philosophy, Critical Autism Studies, etc.) and on disabled people’s material experiences. They explore the role of disability in art and aesthetics and the effects, positive or negative, that its representation might entail. The unfortunately still marginal role of people with disabilities is discussed in a multiplicity of realms, in philosophy and beyond.