title: A dialogue between virtue ethics and care ethics.
abstract: A dialogue between virtue and care ethics is formed as a step towards meeting Pellegrino's challenge to create a more comprehensive moral philosophy. It is also a dialogue between nursing and medicine since each practice draws on the Greek Virtue Tradition and the Judeo-Christian Tradition of care differently. In the Greek Virtue Tradition, the point of scrutiny lies in the inner character of the actor, whereas in the Judeo-Christian Tradition the focus is relational, i.e. how virtues are lived out in specific relationships, particularly unequal relationships where vulnerability of one of the members is an issue. In a care ethic relational qualities such as attunement rather than inner qualities are the point of scrutiny. A dialogue between these two traditions makes it possible to consider the relational virtues and skills of openness and responsiveness that are required for a respectful meeting of the other.
authors.affiliation: University of California, San Francisco School of Nursing, Department of Physiological Nursing 94143, USA.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Benner
mesh_terms: D028663:Ethical Theory; D004992:Ethics, Medical / Q000266:history; D004993:Ethics, Nursing; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D049673:History, 20th Century; D049690:History, Ancient; D009014:Morals; D024802:Nurse's Role; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D012945:Social Values; D013315:Stress, Psychological; D028722:Virtues