Chapter 12: The Ethics of Care
In the different voice of women lies the truth of an ethic of care, the tie between relationship and responsibility, and the origins of aggression in the failure of connection. — Carol Gilligan
In a patriarchal society, one of the most important functions of a woman is to embody the qualities of compassion, nurturing, and self-sacrifice. — Carol Gilligan
A key element of caring is being fully present and attentive to the other person’s needs and perspective. — Nel Noddings
Caring requires that one start form the standpoint of the one needing care or attention. It requires that we meet the other morally, adopt that person’s, or group’s, perspective and look at the world in their terms. — Joan Tronto
Compassion is the basis of morality. — Arthur Schopenhauer
Care ethics is a very recent development in ethics theory, emerging in the latter half of the 20th century. It is a moral and political theory that emphasizes the importance of caring and empathetic relationships in moral deliberation and decision-making. Care ethics is considered a prominent branch of feminist ethics, meaning it is a specific approach within the broader field of feminist ethics that emphasizes the importance of caring for others, compassion, empathy, and attentiveness in moral decision-making
While consequentialist and deontological ethical theories emphasize generalizable standards and impartiality, ethics of care emphasize the importance of response to the individual. In her book In a Different Voice: Psychological Theory and Women’s Development (1982) Carol Gilligan, who is considered the originator of the ethics of care, criticized the application of abstract ethical standards like justice and categorical imperatives as “morally problematic, since it breeds moral blindness or indifference”.
Alternative Paradigms: Care Ethics and Feminine Ethics (5:26)
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Care ethics is different from other ethical models, such as consequentialist theories (e.g. utilitarianism) and deontological theories (e.g. Kantian ethics), in that it seeks to incorporate traditionally feminine virtues and values which, proponents of care ethics contend, are absent in traditional models of ethics. One of these values is the placement of caring and relationship over logic and reason. In care ethics, reason and logic are subservient to natural care, that is, care that is done out of inclination. This is in contrast to deontology, where actions taken out of inclination are unethical.
Ponder if you will…
Do care ethicists have a point? Should we weigh the value of those people for whom we care most as higher in our ethical calculations?
Or does this lead us away from the entire purpose of ethics? Should ethical calculations be biased this way?
On the other hand, are the care ethicists right in pointing out that we are simply deluding ourselves if we disregard how we simply do place more value on those for whom we care?
The field of care ethics is broad, encompassing many areas of life and thought. In the 21st century care ethics has expanded from its original focus on family and friendship to include medical practice, law, political life, and more. It has become an interdisciplinary field that combines empirical research and theoretical reflection. Moreover, it has been influenced by moral perspectives from many cultures, including African communitarian views, Indigenous worldviews, Confucianism, and Buddhism. Politically, Care ethics has evolved into a social movement that aims to increase public support for care-giving activities. Feminist ethicists are concerned with epistemology and power, and how groups’ knowledge is used or ignored. In this chapter we will focus primarily on its role as a new and exciting ethical theory.
