The ethics of care in feminist philosophy and particular relationships

The ethics of care in feminist philosophy is a normative ethical theory that centers moral action on interpersonal relationships and care or benevolence as a virtue. Developed by some feminists and environmentalists since the 1980s, it emphasizes responding to the individual rather than relying on generalizable standards and impartiality.

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   the ethics of care in feminist philosophy · Wikipedia · 13 min read

   In the ethics of care in feminist philosophy, American ethicist and psychologist Carol Gilligan originated the ethics of care as a critique of her mentor, developmental psychologist Lawrence Kohlberg's model of moral development. In feminist ethics of care, attentiveness means recognizing others' needs in order to respond to them. Joan Tronto's question is, "But when is ignorance simply ignorance, and when is it inattentiveness?" In contemporary art, the ethics of care foregrounds process over product, collective maintenance over individual authorship, and interdependence over creative autonomy. Mierle Laderman Ukeles's Manifesto for Maintenance Art (1969) elevated everyday acts of maintenance, such as cleaning, repairing, and sustaining, to the status of artistic practice.

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   "Care Ethics" · iep.utm.edu · 45 min read

   The ethics of care gives moral significance to relationships and dependencies in human life. It seeks to maintain relationships by promoting the well-being of caregivers and care-receivers within social networks.

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