Challenge to Traditional Moral Theory
He could be regarded as one of the pioneers of Care Ethics, who developed a scale of human moral growth that was used as a model to comprehend how a person's moral maturity evolved.
Lawrence Kohlberg
How is care ethics connected to social justice?
By valuing relationships in unfair systems
What is one basic example of someone you would likely feel a responsibility to care for?
a child or a dependent family member.
What is care ethics and what does it emphasize in moral decision-making?
Focuses on care and relationships.
This has been offered as a way to place care ethics in a larger framework
Virtue ethics
Identify which pre-conventional stage is the following: 1) A child helps clean up toys to get a cookie in return; 2) A child doesn’t hit their sibling because they’ll be sent to their room if they do
1 is the second stage, while 2 is the first stage.
Why is listening to marginalized voices important in care ethics?
They show where care is missing.
Where do the boundaries of our care responsibilities lie? How do we decide who we are obligated to care for and to what extent?
Relationship
What is an amoralist, and how do they view moral rules or obligations?
Rejects moral rules as binding.
According to Aristotle, the cosmos is ordered in such a way that every living thing has a [blank]
Telos
Identify which conventional stage is the following: 1)A teenager volunteers at a charity to be seen as a “good person” by friends or family; 2)
1 is stage 3, while 2 is stage 4.
How does care ethics approach issues like poverty or inequality?
By focusing on needs and empathy.
In a world with limited resources, how can care ethics help us make difficult decisions about the allocation of care?
Prioritizing the most vulnerable
How would an amoralist respond to the idea that we have a duty to care for others?
It’s a choice, not a duty.
How do virtue ethics and Care ethics differ?
Aristotle’s virtue ethics focuses on the individual, while care ethics focuses on social relations and social practices.
Identify which post-conventional stage is the following: 1) A voter supports reforming an unjust law even if it’s currently legal (e.g., civil rights); 2) A whistleblower exposes corruption because it’s the morally right thing to do, despite risks
1 is stage 5, while 2 is a universal ethical principle.
What are the limits of care ethics when addressing structural injustice?
It lacks focus on laws and systems.
Care ethics is mainly about paying attention to what in our relationships with other people?
Needs
Why does care ethics see emotional connection as essential, while amoralism might reject moral emotions altogether?
Care needs empathy; amoralists don’t.
Why don’t humans naturally reach their telos?
Reason
Differentiate the scale of moral development of Lawrence Kohlberg from Carol Gilligan.
Kohlberg’s model - understanding how individuals reason about justice and fairness. Gilligan’s critique introduces a crucial dimension of care.
Can care ethics be used to create public policy? Why or why not?
Yes. if built on empathy and care.
Can care ethics be applied to broader social and political issues, such as environmental protection or global inequality? If so, how?
Yes, by expanding the concept of “relationship”
Can an amoralist live in a caring society without personally believing in moral values? Why or why not?
Yes, by following norms, not values.
In virtue ethics, according to Aristotle, where humans follow the role allotted by the cosmos as their goal or telos, is there a rightness and wrongness?
Yes, the rightness and wrongness in expressing one’s character.