Reference no: EM133634482
An ethics of care is, by its very nature, based on our moral sentiment: feelings of connectedness and love toward others, including feelings of affection for those who are dependent on us to varying degrees. This isn't to say that the theory is based solely on feelings. Firstly, care itself is construed as a virtue, and recall from Lesson 2 that virtues are character traits, not feelings. Also, care ethicists can act on principled grounds, uniting reason and emotion. What sets care ethics apart as an ethical theory is how it places our sentiment, feeling, and emotion at the centre of our ethical lives by focussing on those special relationships that give rise to moral education and the most stringent moral demands that can be placed on us.
The principled ethical frameworks of utilitarianism and deontology are usually regarded as relegating sentiments to a secondary role. In fact, one thing on which Bentham's utilitarianism and Kant's deontology agree is this: we are obliged to heed the dictates of fundamental moral principles regardless of personal inclination or sentiment. They disagree on what the fundamental moral principles are, of course; but they agree that fundamental principles are action-guiding because they are rational. Care ethicists think of us as rational and emotional, and that abstract and universal principles are not usually what guide us in our moral deliberation.
1. Is it enough to tolerate others in our society, so long as they do no harm to us, or should our politics be based on sentimental feelings toward our peers? Explain your answer.
2. We accept that parents must care for their children (or otherwise give them up for adoption); we accept that doctors must care for their patients; we even accept that teachers should care for their students. What is special about these kinds of relationships, and why do so few other relationships seem to be based on care as opposed to contractual obligation, e.g. your relationship with your hair-dresser, or your plumber, or your accountant? Does care ethics make more sense for dependency relationships? Where we are equal in cognitive and physical power, and not in the same family or circle of friends, does a liberal account of fairness make more sense?
3. Should we adopt an ethics of care, or a more standard liberal model of fairness, as a way of thinking about post-secondary education? How would you like your professors and TAs to interact with you? Explain your answer.