Ethics Of Care And Ethics Of Justice

Carol Gilligan made the distinction between the Ethic of Care and the Ethic of Justice. Men, according to Gilligan, judge themselves guilty if they do something wrong under the justice ethic. Women are hesitant to even judge the action under the ethic of care. This reluctance to judge oneself could be a sign of concern and care for others. As a result, women not only define themselves in terms of human relationships, but also in terms of ‘care and concern.'

•    A woman's moral deliberations become very different as a result of this; Gilligan also highlights the distinction between 'ethic of care' and 'ethic of justice.' 

 

•    In both systems, she believes that the quality and quantity of relationships are critical. 

 

•    Individual rights, equality before the law, fair play, and a level playing field are all objectives that can be pursued without regard for personal ties to others.

 

•    Justice is a faceless institution. Sensitivity to others, loyalty, responsibility, self-sacrifice, and peace-making, on the other hand, all reflect interpersonal involvement. The word "cane" comes from the word "connection."

 

•    Carol Gilligan questioned Lawrence Kohlberg's moral development stage theory. Gilligan claimed that his model was male-biased, failed to include women's perspectives, and relegated women to the status of outliers.

 

•    Similar to Kohlberg's moral development theory, she proposed a stage theory of moral development for women. People have responsibilities to others, according to the female perspective on morality. As a result, morality is defined as the obligation to care for others.

 

•    Pre-conventional, conventional, and post-conventional are the three major divisions. Changes in one's sense of self, rather than changes in cognitive ability, drive the transitions between stages. 

 

1.    Pre-conventional level: Every child is placed in this category because people only look after them to ensure their survival. 

 

•    The person's attitude is considered selfish during the transition phase, and the person sees the connection between themselves and others. "You learn to look after yourself." 

 

2.    Traditional Level Responsibility: It is goodness and a greater concern for others. 

 

•    It passes a situation in which one continues to ignore one's own needs. This is demonstrated in the role of mother and wife, according to Gilligan. 

 

•    Tensions exist between the responsibility of caring for others and the responsibility of caring for oneself during this transitional phase. "Norms about caring for others are internalised, and one tends to neglect oneself." 

 

3.    Post-conventional level: This stage demonstrates acceptance of the principle of caring for oneself and others, and some people never reach this level.

 

o    One learns to balance self-care with caring for others by becoming critical of the conventions one adopted in the conventional stage.

 

o    This is a progression from selfishness to social responsibility to moral principle.