Care Ethics

Lawrence KohlbergLawrence Kohlberg

Lawrence Kohlberg identifies three stages of Lawrence Kohlberg identifies three stages of moral development:moral development:

1.1. Preconventional – moral reasoning is tied to Preconventional – moral reasoning is tied to feelings of pleasure and avoidance of painfeelings of pleasure and avoidance of pain

2.2. conventional – specific cultural norms conventional – specific cultural norms dominate moral reasoningdominate moral reasoning

3.3. Postconventional – more abstract ethical Postconventional – more abstract ethical principles are involvedprinciples are involved

Carol GilliganCarol Gilligan

Research focuses on a systematic comparison Research focuses on a systematic comparison of moral development for females and males. of moral development for females and males.

Her work indicates that the moral reasoning of Her work indicates that the moral reasoning of girls and boys is different. girls and boys is different.

1.1. Girls tend to use a care and responsibility Girls tend to use a care and responsibility perspective perspective

2.2. boys tend to use a justice perspective. boys tend to use a justice perspective.

An important question is whether the An important question is whether the differences are the result of nature or nurture.differences are the result of nature or nurture.

Kohlberg’s stages of moral Kohlberg’s stages of moral developmentdevelopment

Preconventional Level - childhood to middle schoolPreconventional Level - childhood to middle school

Stage 1: Heteronymous Morality - Ethics of Stage 1: Heteronymous Morality - Ethics of Punishment and obediencePunishment and obedience Good is simply based on rules and avoiding Good is simply based on rules and avoiding

punishment without considering whether the punishment without considering whether the rules themselves are good.rules themselves are good.

Stage 2: Instrumental purpose - Ethics of market Stage 2: Instrumental purpose - Ethics of market exchangeexchange Good is what is good for the individual, or what Good is what is good for the individual, or what

you can trade for by doing favors in the moment.you can trade for by doing favors in the moment.

Kohlberg’s stages…Kohlberg’s stages…

Conventional Level—adolescence and Conventional Level—adolescence and adulthood (many never go past this level)adulthood (many never go past this level)

Stage 3: Interpersonal conformity—ethics Stage 3: Interpersonal conformity—ethics of peer opinionof peer opinion Good is what the peer group approves ofGood is what the peer group approves of

Stage 4: Social system orientation—Stage 4: Social system orientation—ethics of law and orderethics of law and order Good conforms to social rules, laws and Good conforms to social rules, laws and

customs—similar to stage 3, but broadercustoms—similar to stage 3, but broader

Kohlberg’s stages…Kohlberg’s stages…

PostconventionalPostconventional

Stage 5: Social contract orientationStage 5: Social contract orientation Good is what conforms to procedures regulating Good is what conforms to procedures regulating

agreement and disagreement (see Utilitarian and agreement and disagreement (see Utilitarian and Deontology ethics)Deontology ethics)

Stage 6: Ethics of self-chosen universal Stage 6: Ethics of self-chosen universal principlesprinciples Good is consistent with personally identified and Good is consistent with personally identified and

chosen moral principleschosen moral principles

Carol Gilligan: Carol Gilligan:

As we have listened for centuries to the voices As we have listened for centuries to the voices of men and the theories of development that of men and the theories of development that their experience informs, so we have come their experience informs, so we have come more recently to notice not only the silence of more recently to notice not only the silence of women but the difficulty in hearing what they women but the difficulty in hearing what they say when they speak. Yet in the different voice say when they speak. Yet in the different voice of women lies the truth of an ethic of care, the of women lies the truth of an ethic of care, the tie between relationship and responsibility, tie between relationship and responsibility, and the origins of aggression in the failure of and the origins of aggression in the failure of connection .connection .

The failure to see the different reality of The failure to see the different reality of women's lives and to hear the differences in women's lives and to hear the differences in their voices stems in part from the assumption their voices stems in part from the assumption that there is a single mode of social experience that there is a single mode of social experience and interpretation (see moral pluralism).and interpretation (see moral pluralism).

What is Care Ethics…What is Care Ethics… A family of beliefs about the way values should be A family of beliefs about the way values should be

manifested in character and in behaviormanifested in character and in behavior Unified by shared concerns and commitments and Unified by shared concerns and commitments and

by the rejection of the traditional philosophical by the rejection of the traditional philosophical view that ethics can be adequately represented by view that ethics can be adequately represented by rules and principlesrules and principles

In her work with women, she came to the In her work with women, she came to the conclusion that she was hearing a different voice conclusion that she was hearing a different voice from the traditional ethical theory “male” voicefrom the traditional ethical theory “male” voice

When women are presented with cases of moral When women are presented with cases of moral conflict, they focus on the details of the people conflict, they focus on the details of the people involved in the situation and their personal involved in the situation and their personal relationshiprelationship

What this meansWhat this means There is an attempt to, as much as is possible, There is an attempt to, as much as is possible,

satisfy the interests of everyone concerned and satisfy the interests of everyone concerned and cause the least amount of harmcause the least amount of harm

This means there is preparation for compromise This means there is preparation for compromise and a willingness to find points of agreement, to and a willingness to find points of agreement, to be flexible in their demands, and to take novel be flexible in their demands, and to take novel approaches to find resolutions that are approaches to find resolutions that are acceptableacceptable

Ethic of Care vs. Ethic of Ethic of Care vs. Ethic of justicejustice

Women – ethic of careWomen – ethic of care Men – ethic of justiceMen – ethic of justice She does not consider this a perfect correlation She does not consider this a perfect correlation

between the gendersbetween the genders Ideally, moral agents should employ both Ideally, moral agents should employ both

approaches in moral decision makingapproaches in moral decision making There is room for both and a need for both and There is room for both and a need for both and

Gilligan recognizes thisGilligan recognizes this

What this means Rules are inappropriate and unnecessary

where certain human relationships are concerned

Care ethics denies that abstract principles can capture everything relevant to making moral decisions

We can’t just slap a rule onto every situation We must instead have an understanding of

the complexities of the particular situation in which a moral problem has occurred

We need a deep and detailed understanding of the people, their interests and feelings. And only with this is it possible to sensitively respond to their problem

Intelligence and Empathy This requires intelligence – grasp relationships

and details about the people, circumstances, and the problem

We must also use empathy to understand the concerns and feelings of the people involved (must identify with them)

We must realize what they consider to be at stake, ascertain their worries and concerns

The point is not to find out who is wrong and right, but to find a way out of the conflict that takes into account the concerns and feelings of all those involved

Inappropriate and Mistaken Traditional values placed emphasis on

disinterestedness, detachment, and dispassionate objective judging. Gilligan says this is inappropriate and mistaken

Why? Because it excludes the very values that are

most relevant to moral situations and most important to the people involved

This means we must make an effort to develop individuals who respond appropriately to moral situations (recognize importance of personal relationships, respect others and accept responsibility)

DifficultiesDifficulties Gilligan’s claims about the differences between the moral Gilligan’s claims about the differences between the moral

reasoning of women and men do not stand up to the reasoning of women and men do not stand up to the challenge of more recent datachallenge of more recent data

However, these claims are not crucial to care ethics. It is However, these claims are not crucial to care ethics. It is enough to demonstrate the importance of values that enough to demonstrate the importance of values that belong to the ethic of care by showing how they play a belong to the ethic of care by showing how they play a role in the moral life of individuals and societyrole in the moral life of individuals and society

Care ethics can be seen as a part of the traditional Care ethics can be seen as a part of the traditional enterprise of philosophical ethics (act so as to promote enterprise of philosophical ethics (act so as to promote the good of others)the good of others)

If this is so, then care ethics is a part of the traditional If this is so, then care ethics is a part of the traditional enterprise of ethics (it does not necessarily stand as an enterprise of ethics (it does not necessarily stand as an alternative to a moral theory)alternative to a moral theory)