Psychopathy is often characterized in terms of what I call “the language of disorder.” I question whether such language is
necessary for an accurate and precise characterization of psychopathy, and I consider the practical implications of how we
characterize psychopathy—whether as a biological, or merely normative, disorder.
Keywords Psychopathy - Language of disorder - Treatment - Responsibility
I owe thanks to several people, especially Neil Levy, for helpful comments on previous drafts of this paper. I would also
like to thank: Grant Harris, Shaun Nichols, Chris Maloney, and Richard J. Reimer.