In the 1850s, "Drapetomania" was the medical term for a disease found among black slaves in the United States. The main symptom was a strange desire to run away from their masters. In earlier centuries gout was understood as a metabolic disease of the affluent, so much so that it became a badge of uppercrust honor—and a medical excuse to avoid hard work. Today, is there such a thing as mental illness, or is mental illness just a myth? Is Alzheimer's really a disease? What is menopause—a bi...

This book envisions a more practical effectiveness of critical theory thru consideration of concrete alternatives that allow for the capability of a gradually transformed and redeemed reality. Mordacci combines critique with utopia, and inspires new visions in political thought aimed at dismantling structures of domination and constructing a more emancipated version of social life. This text appeals to both students and researchers.

This book presents a historically informed, theoretically systematic, and critically articulated theory of respect that challenges many of the presuppositions of the current debate in ethics and politics. It develops a theory of respect as the rule of power relations, which draws connections between Kant’s critical philosophy and Critical Theory.The concept of respect is the foundation of normative theory. Any human practice is subject to a judgment in terms of respect, and a compr...