Can there be an ethics of care?

Area of Science:

• Ethics
• Philosophy of Care
• Nursing Ethics

Background:

• A growing body of literature, particularly from nursing, advocates for an ethics of care.
• This approach is criticized for its conceptual vagueness.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze the concept of 'care' and its related terms.
• To identify the source of vagueness in ethics of care.
• To evaluate the moral standing of caring.

Main Methods:

• Conceptual analysis of the term 'care' and related concepts.
• Examination of the underlying assumptions of ethics of care.

Main Results:

• The concept of 'care' is morally neutral.
• Caring is only morally good when directed towards appropriate objects and expressed appropriately.
• 'Caring' ethics incorrectly assumes caring is inherently good.

Conclusions:

• The vagueness in ethics of care stems from an inadequate analysis of 'care'.
• Ethics of care fails to provide criteria for determining what to care for or how to care appropriately.
• A robust ethical framework requires more than just the concept of caring.