Publisher's Note Why the Retarded and the Rest of Us Have Claims to Equality.This book presents a balance and comprehensive analysis of the issues, and avoids the divisiveness that often prevent constructive decision-making. The author begins by describing an actual case study of a retarded, multiply handicapped boy who could benefit only marginally from extensive and labor-intensive speech therapy. He exposes the foundations of typically disparate responses to this situation by looking at the historical origins of both religious and secular views of justice, tracing the conflict between egalitarian and non-egalitarian stances.