91ÇÑ×Ó

Thursday, March 6, 2025
6:30PM | McCord Auditorium, Dallas Hall (3rd Floor)

The 2025 Maguire Lecture in Ethics brought together students, faculty, and community members for an engaging and thought-provoking discussion on the intersection of health, neurodiversity, and respectability politics. This year’s lecture, held at 91ÇÑ×Ó Methodist University, featured Dr. Quill Kukla, a distinguished philosopher whose work challenges conventional understandings of ethics, health, and social structures.

Dr. Kukla, a professor of philosophy at Georgetown University and the Editor-in-Chief of the Kennedy Institute of Ethics Journal, has long been at the forefront of conversations about medical ethics, disability studies, and the philosophy of language. Their lecture, Healthism, Neurodiversity, and Respectability Politics, interrogated the ways in which societal notions of “health” and “normalcy” shape the lives of neurodivergent individuals.

Throughout the evening, Dr. Kukla deconstructed the pervasive ideology of “healthism,” which frames health as a moral imperative and an individual responsibility, often without questioning who sets these definitions or whose interests they serve. "We are told that health is an unquestionable good, something we should all strive for at any cost," Dr. Kukla remarked during the lecture. "But what happens when 'health' is defined in ways that demand conformity rather than supporting genuine well-being?"

The lecture explored the historical and contemporary framing of autism and ADHD, questioning the medicalization of neurodivergence and the implicit biases embedded in diagnostic criteria. Dr. Kukla pointed out that many of the so-called “deficits” associated with neurodivergent conditions are, in fact, challenges imposed by rigid social structures rather than intrinsic impairments. They highlighted how interventions like Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA) often prioritize making neurodivergent individuals more socially acceptable rather than addressing their actual needs and well-being. "Too often, we focus on making neurodivergent people easier for the rest of us to deal with," they noted. "But the real question should be: How do we create a society that accommodates and values different ways of thinking and being?"

A particularly compelling aspect of the lecture was the discussion of “crip time” versus “clock time.” Dr. Kukla explained that modern productivity culture demands strict adherence to a shared, regulated pace of work and social engagement—an expectation that often marginalizes those whose cognitive styles don’t align with these rigid structures. They challenged the audience to reconsider whether efficiency and social conformity should be the ultimate measures of success and contribution in society.

Attendees left the lecture with a deeper understanding of the ethical dilemmas surrounding health, autonomy, and social expectations. Dr. Kukla’s insights prompted important questions about how we define and prioritize well-being, and what it truly means to create an inclusive and just society.

The Maguire Lecture in Ethics continues to serve as a platform for critical discussions that shape our understanding of contemporary moral challenges. As we reflect on this year’s event, we look forward to continuing the dialogue and exploring new ways to foster ethical awareness and action in our community.