Ethics
CARE ETHICS (The Ethics of Care)
A Presentation of the Northeast Ethics Education Partnership and Ethical Awareness for International Collaboration, Brown University, 2012
Introduction
• Care ethics [The ethics of care] originated among feminists who maintained, on the basis of Carol Gilligan’s work, A Different Voice , that women and girls approach moral issues with a strong concern for empathy and caring in interpersonal relationships.
Care and Virtues
• Care ethics focuses on virtues associated with care as a moral sentiment and response in the context of particular relationships. • The emphasis is on such traits as empathy, sympathy, compassion, loyalty, discernment and love in intimate relationships, rather than the abstract principles and rights of deontological and libertarian ethics.
• Like communitarian ethics, care ethics stresses the interdependence of persons and the importance of particular relationships, especially within the family and other communities
Care Ethics
• Care ethics encourages altruism, which entails concern for others, their feelings and needs, but does not neglect care for oneself. • Care ethics requires the moral agent to balance care of the self with care for others.
Photo by Katerha
Gilligan’s Ethics of Care
• Gilligan identifies levels and transition periods in the development of the ethics of care. • (1) “From Selfishness to Responsibility” the conflict between what one would do vs. what one ought to do within their attachments and connections to others.
Photo by Derek Bruff
Ethics of Care
• (2) “Goodness as Self-Sacrifice” – concern for others, their feelings and the need to not inflict harm are major concerns.
• (3) “From Goodness to Truth” – the morality of care must include a care of the self as well as others, to be honest and real with oneself, an increased responsibility to one’s responsibility to the self, as well as others. • Gilligan defines this as “mature care”.
Photo by Ed
A Presentation of the Northeast Ethics Education Partnership and Ethical Awareness for International Collaboration, Brown University, 2012
Introduction
• Care ethics [The ethics of care] originated among feminists who maintained, on the basis of Carol Gilligan’s work, A Different Voice , that women and girls approach moral issues with a strong concern for empathy and caring in interpersonal relationships.
Care and Virtues
• Care ethics focuses on virtues associated with care as a moral sentiment and response in the context of particular relationships. • The emphasis is on such traits as empathy, sympathy, compassion, loyalty, discernment and love in intimate relationships, rather than the abstract principles and rights of deontological and libertarian ethics.
• Like communitarian ethics, care ethics stresses the interdependence of persons and the importance of particular relationships, especially within the family and other communities
Care Ethics
• Care ethics encourages altruism, which entails concern for others, their feelings and needs, but does not neglect care for oneself. • Care ethics requires the moral agent to balance care of the self with care for others.
Photo by Katerha
Gilligan’s Ethics of Care
• Gilligan identifies levels and transition periods in the development of the ethics of care. • (1) “From Selfishness to Responsibility” the conflict between what one would do vs. what one ought to do within their attachments and connections to others.
Photo by Derek Bruff
Ethics of Care
• (2) “Goodness as Self-Sacrifice” – concern for others, their feelings and the need to not inflict harm are major concerns.
• (3) “From Goodness to Truth” – the morality of care must include a care of the self as well as others, to be honest and real with oneself, an increased responsibility to one’s responsibility to the self, as well as others. • Gilligan defines this as “mature care”.
Photo by Ed
References: Beauchamp T. and J. Childress. 2009. Principles of Biomedical Ethics, New York: Oxford University Press, 6th ed Gilligan, Carol 1977, “Concepts of the Self and of Morality” Harvard Educational Review: 481-517 Repr. 1986 as “A Different Voice”, In Pearsall, Women and Values: 309-339 Munson, R. 2004. Intervention and Reflection: Basic Issues in Medical Ethics, 8th Ed Australia ; Belmont, CA : Thomson/Wadsworth, Pettersen’s T. 2008., Comprehending Care . United Kingdom: Lexington Books: