FORMAL AND MATERIAL COOPERATION
Participating in Others’ Wrong-Doing
"Many of the actions we perform every day contribute in one way or another to institutions or activities we do not believe in. When does this make our own actions blameworthy?
The most serious case is when we share in their immoral aim — for instance, agreeing to drive the get-away car for a bank robber in exchange for part of the money. This sort of action is known as formal cooperation with wrong-doing.
A different case is when we contribute unknowingly, or without sharing the aim of the wrong-doer — for instance, a taxi driver who unwittingly helps the bank robber escape the scene. Contributing to others’ wrongful action without sharing their immoral aim is known as material cooperation. Whether material cooperation is blameworthy depends on context, including whether one should have known the person was doing something wrong or how extensive one’s help was."
» MEDICAL VS. SOCIAL MODELS OF DISABILITY
Medical Model: Disability is an impairment or dysfunction inherent in a particular kind of body. It is best managed by medical interventions on that body.
Social Model: Disability is a function of the poor fit between an individual body and its social, material, and technological environment. Disability can be managed by changing the body or changing the environment.
