This thesis aims to demonstrate the relevance of the ethic of care to political philosophy, by illustrating how a care-based theory of social justice might be developed. The thesis complements and extends existing work on the ethic of care, both as critical of traditional justice theories, and as a philosophical perspective. The thesis offers are-interpretation of the ethic of care, the care perspective, synthesised from works that consider both the practical and the philosophical implications of the ethic. This care perspective forms the basis for both a critical analysis and a reinterpretation of Rawls's account of social justice, from fundamental concepts, through the original position and the primary goods, to suggestions for alternative principles. The first two chapters explore the distinction between the ethic of care and the care perspective by looking at works that emphasise different aspects of the ethic. The contrast between care- and justice-based accounts is a recurring theme, illustrating how a care approach can offer both critique and reinterpretation. Chapter three puts forward the justification for care as a basis for political philosophy, and expands on the account of the care perspective introduced in chapter one. The thesis then turns to a critique and reinterpretation of Rawls's theory of justice. Chapter four presents a critical analysis of the key conceptions of Rawls's account, and chapter five offers a reinterpretation of these conceptions and a reworking of the original position that is based on the care perspective. Chapter six discusses the concept of primary goods, and chapter seven offers alternative principles of justice. Chapter eight summarises the alternative account, and concludes that the alternative principles could be chosen in the original position. The final chapter concludes that the thesis has achieved the objective of demonstrating how a care-based theory of social justice might be developed.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:bl.uk/oai:ethos.bl.uk:418502 |
| Date | January 2002 |
| Creators | Wilson, Sarah |
| Publisher | Lancaster University |
| Source Sets | Ethos UK |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
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