metaphysical audism

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July 21, 2026

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Metaphysical audism is a concept that emerged in the late 20th and early 21st centuries, building upon the idea of audism, which is the belief that hearing individuals are superior to those with hearing loss. This perspective is rooted in the problematic syllogism that "Language is human; speech is language; therefore deaf people are inhuman and deafness is a problem".1

However, research in neurolinguistics and the recognition of sign languages as fully grammatical languages demonstrate that speech is not the sole form of human communication. Every individual can communicate through spoken, signed, or written language. The concept of audism was coined by Tom L. Humphries in 1975 to describe discrimination against deaf individuals, and it reemerged in the 1990s, with scholars like Harlan L. Lane describing it as a means for the hearing to dominate the deaf community.1

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audism
The idea of metaphysical audism, which is based on the concept that speech is fundamental to human identity, emerged in the late 20th and early 21st centuries, with the work of American English professor Brenda Brueggemann and American professor of deaf studies H-Dirksen L. Bauman. Brueggemann identified the…
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The idea of metaphysical audism, which is based on the concept that speech is fundamental to human identity, emerged in the late 20th and early 21st centuries, with the work of American English professor Brenda Brueggemann and American professor of deaf studies H-Dirksen L. Bauman. Brueggemann identified the…
Read More