Justice And Care: Essential Readings In Feminist Ethics

by Virginia Held

When feminist philosophers first turned their attention to traditional ethical theory, its almost exclusive emphasis upon justice, rights, abstract rationality, and individual autonomy came under special criticism. Women's experiences seemed to suggest the need for a focus on care, empathetic relations, and the interdependence of persons.The most influential readings of what has become an extremely lively and fruitful debate are reproduced here along with important new contributions by Alison Jaggar and Sara Ruddick. As this volume testifies, there is no agreement on the important questions about the relationship between justice and care, but the debate has deepened and enriched our understanding in many ways. Justice and Care is a valuable collection of readings—an essential tool for anyone studying the state of feminist thought in particular or ethical theory in general.

Genres: Philosophy

256 pages, Hardcover

First published November 2, 1995

About the author

Virginia Potter Held (born October 28, 1929) is a leading moral, social/political and feminist philosopher whose work on the ethics of care sparked significant research into the ethical dimensions of providing care for others and critiques of the traditional roles of women in society. Held defends care ethics as a distinct moral framework from Kantian, utilitarian and virtue ethics. Held's work on the morality of political violence viewed through the window of ethics of care has also been significantly influential.

Held was named Distinguished Professor at the City University of New York – Graduate Center and Hunter College in 1996, received her Ph.D. in philosophy from Columbia University in 1968 and worked at Hunter College as lecturer (1965–69), assistant professor (1969–72), associate professor (1973–77) and full professor from 1977 to her retirement in 2001. She was affiliated with the CUNY Graduate Center in 1973, and served as deputy executive officer of the Philosophy program at the CUNY Graduate Center from 1980–1984. She also served as president of the Eastern Division of the American Philosophical Association in 2001–2002.

(from Wikipedia)

Reviews

[Regan · Rating 5 out of 5]

The title more or less sums up both what the book is about and its import. You got most of the heavy hitters on the feminist ethics scene, and those who aren't contributing articles to this volume are still likely referred to. Nel Noddings, Carol Gilligan, Annette Baier, Marilyn Friedman, Claudia Card, Joan Tronto, Patricia Hill Collins, Virginia Held, Margaret Urban Walker, Allison Jaggar and Sara Ruddick.

This is both a great primer to introduce you to the scope of feminist ethics, as well as an essential compendium of some of the most important feminist writings from the 1980s-mid 1990s.