The care perspective and autonomy.
In this article I wish to show how care ethics puts forward a fundamental critique on the ideal of independency in human life without thereby discounting autonomy as a moral value altogether. In care ethics, a relational account of autonomy is developed instead. Because care ethics is sometimes criticized in the literature as hopelessly vague and ambiguous, I shall begin by elaborating on how care ethics and its place in ethical theory can be understood. I shall stipulate a definition of care ethics as a moral perspective or orientation from which ethical theorizing can take place. This will mean that care ethics is more a stance from which we can theorize ethically, than ready-made theory in itself. In conceiving care ethics in this way, it becomes possible to make clear that, for instance, a moral concept of autonomy is not abandoned, but instead is given a particular place and interpretation. In the final part of this article I will show how 'relational autonomy' can be applied fruitfully in the practice of psychiatric care.
Verkerk
M A
MA
University of Groningen/University Hospital Groningen, Health Sciences/Medical Ethics, P0. Box 196, 9700 AD Groningen, The Netherlands. m.a.verkerk@med.rug.nl
D004645:Empathy; D028663:Ethical Theory; D004992:Ethics, Medical; D006801:Humans; D026706:Paternalism; D005791:Patient Care / Q000379:methods* / Q000523:psychology; D026684:Personal Autonomy; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations / Q000941:ethics*