1. Missing in Action: Egalitarian Justice and Care EthicsBy
Steven Wright
University of Alabama
College of Education
Summer 2018

2. Introduction What is justice? What is care? Being fair or reasonable
Just behavior or treatment
Central to an ethic of care
What is care?
Multiple conceptualizations
Actions and behaviors
Feeling and emotion
Sympathy in action
Reciprocal phenomenological activities

3. Justice Classical Greek
Plato- rational, logical order in relationships, society
Aristotle- lawful, fair, equitable treatment; polis (participation in political society)
Medieval Christian
Augustine- 4 cardinal virtues; prudence, fortitude, temperance, justice (giving people rightful due, based on God’s law)
Aquinas- moral habit of a virtuous character; constant and perpetual will, proportional and reciprocal
Early Modern
Hobbes- radical empiricist; justice is an artificial virtue, created to establish peace or render enemies incapable of harm
Hume- utilitarian view; a social construct created to maximize collective well-being, protect property rights

4. Justice
Late Modern
Kant-respect for individuals’ freedom, autonomy, dignity.
Doing right because it is the right thing to do
No expectation of benefit
Women are “passive citizens”
Mill- Utilitarian view; foster greatest happiness.
5 principles
respecting legal rights
respecting moral rights
giving what is due for effort
maintaining trust and faith
impartiality

5. Justice
Contemporary
Rawls- Kantian perspective, truly equal starting point
Original position
Equitable rights and duties
Inequalities permissible only if benefit to least advantaged
Veil of ignorance
Nozick- libertarian; entitlement concept, just and fair acquisition of property and holdings
Nielsen- socialist; individuals have equal basic liberties and opportunities, equal distribution of income and wealth
Sandel- communitarian; just actions derived from and benefit the community

6. Justice Contemporary Feminist Nussbaum- global, non-gendered construct
Five key dimensions
Cross cultural internationalism
Humanism, promoting equality
Liberalism, affording everyone equal worth
Cultural sensitivity
Sympathetic understanding between the sexes
Respect for ten basic human capabilities

7. Ethics of Care Nursing Care
Nightingale- meeting physical and emotional needs
Orem- promote individual independence, well-being, self care
Watson- a practice, demonstrative actions; recognize and influence person, environment, health, nursing
Leininger- transcultural aspect of care, acknowledge diversity and different perspectives (relative to dominant white culture)
Hall- patient right to absolute autonomy

8. Ethics of Care Feminist Ethic of Care Gilligan Noddings
a relational interaction process, primary focus to maintain and strengthen relationship ties
Argues against Kohlberg’s assertion that women are morally immature
Noddings
Men and women guided by basic concept of natural care
Based on experiencing sympathy- women more adept
Caring for- the face to face individual, active process
Caring about- public, grand concept of concern and basis for just actions

9. Ethics of Care Emerging Care Ethics
Cloyes-agonist feminist ethic; politicizing discussions and conceptualizations
Tronto- power stuctures control care; subjugation of women and minorities to benefit social elite
Post-social contract- construct of care is discriminatory and exclusionary
Post-human- addresses technology advances and impact on caring concepts

10. Implications Justice is inseparable from care
No clear universal, just ethic of care
Adjunctive models fall short
Consider pragmatic praxis
Kant may be most equitable and practical justice concept, even though flawed and discriminatory to women (social and cultural contextual influence)
Nussbaum could also be practical in use
Noddings might be most universally acceptable and equitable ethic of care
Further investigation and research needed

11. Conclusion
All theories and frameworks have shortcomings and inherent biases
Continued research and investigation is needed
Pragmatic, practical approach may be most appropriate