Phenomenology of sociality and relational accounts of personhood: reinstating the moral status of children with profound and multiple learning difficulties

In this chapter we critically analyse concepts of ‘personhood’ as they relate to children with ‘profound and multiple learning difficulties’ (PMLD). We argue that dominant accounts of personhood in Western philosophy are cognitivist-centric and lead to children with PMLD being classed as ‘non-persons’. We counter this perspective by demonstrating how relational concepts of personhood, anchored in phenomenological theory, lead to a more enriched and inclusive definition of personhood that reinstates the moral status of children with PMLD. We suggest that debates in citizenship education can be extended by the relational model we develop in this chapter.