Navigation
An introduction to feminist ethics and the importance of relationships and situational context in moral decision-making.
Imagine you have to choose between saving a world-renowned scientist or your own sibling from a fire. Traditional logic says the scientist's value to humanity is higher, but your heart screams for your sibling. Is your 'bias' actually a moral strength?
Traditional moral theories, like Utilitarianism or Deontology, often act like a blind judge. They demand impartiality, meaning you should treat a stranger the same way you treat your best friend. This is known as a justice-based framework. However, in the 1980s, psychologist Carol Gilligan argued that this 'blindness' ignores the reality of human life. She proposed the Ethics of Care, a feminist philosophical perspective that suggests morality isn't about following abstract rules () to achieve a result (). Instead, morality is found in the thickness of our relationships. In this view, we are not isolated individuals; we are 'nodes' in a web of connections. Our moral duty is to maintain these connections and respond to the specific needs of those around us.
Quick Check
In traditional justice-based ethics, how are we expected to treat a stranger compared to a family member?
Answer
We are expected to treat them with impartiality, meaning we should treat them the same based on universal rules.
In most ethical systems, partiality (favoring one person over another) is seen as a flaw or a 'bias.' But in the Ethics of Care, partiality is a moral requirement. We have a greater moral obligation to those we are in a relationship with—our parents, friends, or neighbors—than to distant strangers. This is because care is context-dependent. It requires empathy and a deep understanding of a person's unique situation. Instead of asking, 'What is the fair rule for everyone?', a care ethicist asks, 'What does this specific person need from me right now?' This shifts the focus from 'rights' to 'responsibilities' and from 'independence' to interdependence.
1. Scenario: You promised to help a group of classmates study for a test, but your best friend calls you in tears because of a personal crisis. 2. Justice Approach: You made a promise to the group. To be 'fair,' you must keep your word to the many rather than the one. 3. Care Approach: You recognize your friend's high level of vulnerability and your unique relationship. You decide to help your friend, communicating with the group to reschedule, because the relationship takes precedence over the abstract rule of 'always keep a promise.'
Quick Check
Why does the Ethics of Care value 'partiality'?
Answer
Because it recognizes that we have specific moral responsibilities to those we are in relationships with, based on their unique needs and our connection to them.
When we move from personal choices to community conflicts, the Ethics of Care looks for 'win-win' solutions that preserve relationships rather than 'win-lose' legal battles. It emphasizes responsiveness and listening. In a conflict, a care-based approach identifies who is most vulnerable and asks how the community can support them without severing ties. It rejects the idea that we can solve human problems using a simple formula like . Instead, it acknowledges that human needs are messy, emotional, and deeply tied to the specific history of a place and its people.
1. Conflict: A city wants to turn a local community garden into a parking lot to increase revenue ( economy). 2. Justice Perspective: The city owns the land and has the legal 'right' to develop it. The 'greatest good' might be the economic boost for the whole city. 3. Care Perspective: The ethicist looks at the elderly residents who rely on the garden for social connection and mental health. They see the garden not as 'land,' but as a vital 'relationship' between people and their environment. 4. Resolution: Instead of a lawsuit, the care approach facilitates a dialogue to find an alternative site for parking that doesn't destroy the social fabric of the elderly community.
Which philosopher is most closely associated with the early development of the Ethics of Care?
In Care Ethics, what is the primary question one should ask when facing a moral dilemma?
True or False: The Ethics of Care argues that we should try to be as impartial as possible when making moral decisions.
Review Tomorrow
In 24 hours, try to explain the 'web of relationships' metaphor to a friend and how it differs from a 'blind judge' view of morality.
Practice Activity
Observe a conflict in a book, movie, or your own life today. Instead of asking who is 'right,' ask: 'Who is the most vulnerable person here, and what do they specifically need?'