Care, Autonomy, And Justice: Feminism And The Ethic Of Care (Feminist Theory and Politics) [Hardcover]

Grace Clement (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 8, 1996 | ISBN-10: 0813325374 | ISBN-13: 978-0813325378

Newcomers and more experienced feminist theorists will welcome this even-handed survey of the care/justice debate within feminist ethics. Grace Clement clarifies the key terms, examines the arguments and assumptions of all sides to the debate, and explores the broader implications for both practical and applied ethics. Readers will appreciate her generous treatment of the feminine, feminist, and justice-based perspectives that have dominated the debate.Clement also goes well beyond description and criticism, advancing the discussion through the incorporation of a broad range of insights into a new integration of the values of care and justice.Care, Autonomy, and Justice marks a major step forward in our understanding of feminist ethics. It is both direct and helpful enough to work as an introduction for students and insightful and original enough to make it necessary reading for scholars.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Grace Clement is assistant professor of philosophy at Salisbury State University.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 144 pages
• Publisher: Westview Press (August 8, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0813325374
• ISBN-13: 978-0813325378
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.1 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,303,409 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Clear Account of Care and Justice Issues, June 13, 2005

By 

Theodore Klein (Boston, MA, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Care, Autonomy, And Justice: Feminism And The Ethic Of Care (Feminist Theory and Politics) (Paperback)

This book was greatly helpful to me as someone very interested in ethics of caring. The author had insightful discussions of views of others. She also offered well reasoned responses to important questions which continue to come up in seeking to integrate care and justice approaches. The bibilography of materials written up into the early 1990's is superb. I plan to give this book a central place in any '"Ethics of Caring" courses I teach.

5.0 out of 5 stars The Ethics of Care v The Ethics of Justice, October 12, 2010

By 

K. DeVitto "Ceit" (New Bedford,MA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

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This review is from: Care, Autonomy, And Justice: Feminism And The Ethic Of Care (Feminist Theory and Politics) (Paperback)

Care, Autonomy, And Justice: Feminism And The Ethic of Care by Grace Clement

This book really deserves the five star rating that I have given it, however, it's not perfect, because instead of reviewing both sides of the debate it really is offering another view of Feminist Ethics. Clement argues that as Feminist we should really use both the The Ethics of Care and The Ethics of Justice. According to her, both act as a balance to one another.

She says that one is only able to do this if you *cherry* pick the definitions of Care and Justice. It works if you view the Ethics of Care for the private realm and if you use the Ethic of Justice in the public realm.

She explains the historical debates between the two ethics and talks about controversy over Gilligan's book, and she says that even if it's based on stereotypical behaviors it shouldn't matter because this is how we should act. I am not sure if I buy that reasoning, however she does make a point.

For me it makes the Ethics of care more appealing. The problem that I have with the Ethic of Care is that it assumes that all woman have a natural drive and want to create relational bonds, none of the books on the subject really show hard evidence (without anecdotal evidence) that woman naturally work within The Ethic of Care or are they forced to do it by society's *ideals* . Another assumption that the Ethic of Care makes is that all woman want and desire children, which I have issues with too. Again, I would like to see the evidence for this, and would very much like to see other evidence other than anecdotal.

IMHO, woman are force to work within relational bonds because they are forced to look for help with child care, sharing of ways to raise children (education), and because of stereotypical roles that some woman are still forced into have to be the manager of the family - I wonder if a study of woman who aren't married and don't have children would have the same world view as woman who have children. (Just thinking out loud)
Back to the book I think that Clements tries to bind the two Ethics together in a way that makes sense. She also discusses the many different aspects and views within both ethics group.

The bibliography at the end is a useful one although it's about a decade old.