21 research outputs found
The Ethics of Care: Normative Structures and Empirical Implications
In this article I argue that the ethics of care provides us with a novel reading of human relations, and therefore makes possible a fresh approach to several empirical challenges. In order to explore this connection, I discuss some specific normative features of the ethics of careāprimarily the comprehension of the moral agent and the concept of careāas these two key elements contribute substantially to a new ethical outlook. Subsequently, I argue that the relational and reciprocal mode of thinking with regard to the moral agent must be extended to our understanding of care. I term this comprehension āmature careā. Citing conflicts of interests as examples, I demonstrate how this conceptualization of care may further advance the ethics of careās ability to take on empirical challenges. Finally, I discuss political implications that may emanate from the ethics of care and the concept of mature care