Transcript Common Good Approach

The Common Good Approach to
Ethics
Presented by: Adam, Leah, and Jenny
LP: Ethical Theory Presentation
Section: Thursday, 8:30
April 3, 2008
Humane Community Approach
What is ethical is what advances the common good
Ethics of Care
• A community of individuals whose own
good is bound to the good of the whole.
• Ethics of care emphasizes the importance
of relationships.
The Humane Community
A vision of society as a community whose
members are joined in the shared pursuit
of values and goals they hold in common.
Ethics of Care
• Theory about what makes actions right or
wrong.
• Developed as part of a feminist
movement.
Carol Gilligan
• Worked with
Laurence Kohlberg
• Inspired the Ethics of
Care
Carol Gilligan
Equal development for women
• Connections among people
• Care for those people
Stages of Moral Development
Stage
Goal
Pre-conventional
Goal is individual survival
Conventional
Self sacrifice is goodness
Post-conventional
Principle of nonviolence:
do not hurt others or self
Nel Noddings
• Analysis of caring &
its place in ethics
• Agrees and disagrees
with Gilligan’s
research
Criticisms of Ethics of Care
• Free will
• Favoritism
• Why care?
Application to LongTerm Care
Fundamental ethical obligation to provide
health care for all.
– societies are faced with resource limitations
and difficult decisions about which of the
competing needs are met
– allocating the burdens and benefits
Governments have a crucial role
– must anticipate needs
– low on government agendas, or non-existent
Review Questions:
1. What are some strengths of the Ethics of
Care? Weaknesses?
2. Was Kohlberg’s moral development focusing
on cognitive thinking right for everyone? Or
was Gilligan right to test women based on a
sense of self?
3. Would you take the position in Ethics of Care
to put yourself and people close to you above
strangers?
Questions?