This book, explores the complex moral and ethical dilemmas surrounding
Body Integrity Dysphoria (BID) and its recent classification in the
ICD-11. The examination offers a pioneering view into a condition that
remains deeply controversial within medical and public discourse. BID
is characterised by a persistent desire to acquire a physical
impairment, often through amputation. Such a situation forces the
medical world to take a stance by either granting the amputation
request or rejecting it with the risk of pushing individuals toward
self-made solutions. Through a review of the contemporary
understanding of BID as well as original data obtained during
extensive fieldwork with medical professionals, this book addresses
the ethical and moral aspects of the condition. Fundamental questions
are posed about the relationship between bodily autonomy and
embodiment, identity and gender, well-being and moral responsibility,
and how these elements intertwine, shape and are shaped by
sociocultural understanding of illness and body. The book aims to move
beyond traditional understandings of body functionality to consider
the implications of autonomy and the extent to which an individual
considered mentally and physically sound can dispose of one's own body
within the contemporary medical paradigm. This is done to question
long-standing assumptions about bodily integrity and traditional views
on the wholeness and naturalness of the human form. As postmodern
theories challenge established frameworks, a paradigm shift emerges in
medical and societal approaches to identity, embodiment, and
impairment, and this needs to be addressed. Drawing on insights from
medicine, psychology, sociology, and ethics, this book situates BID
within a broader cultural and philosophical context. It raises
essential questions about where individuals' rights intersect with
medical responsibility and societal perceptions of normalcy and
health. By doing so, the book provokes readers to reconsider the
boundaries between health, pathology, and self-determination.
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Redefining Wholeness: Identity, Autonomy, and the Moral Boundaries of the Human Body
Produktdetaljer
ISBN
9783031824432
Publisert
2025
Utgiver
Vendor
Springer
Språk
Product language
Engelsk
Format
Product format
Digital bok
Forfatter