Philosophy as children

While a strong knowledge base has developed in sustainable tourism, theoretical links to justice and ethics have been slow to emerge at the destination level, especially about fairness, equity and justice for disadvantaged local groups, including poor, minority and indigenous populations. This paper draws upon, and justifies the use of several key philosophical traditions and social-political perspectives on justice to tackle this issue. A case study illustrates a range of justice issues experienced by local Mayan residents in Quintana Roo, Mexico, related to procedural and distributive justice, fairness and equity in the development and marketing of their natural and cultural heritage for tourism, as well as discriminatory and exclusionary practices toward that ethnic minority. Together, theoretical and empirical insights corroborate the need for a justice-oriented framework that addresses the social and cultural well-being of disadvantaged populations, and attempts to ensure that the poor are better off through tourism development and marketing. Following Rawls’ concept of justice, and linked to Fainstein's Just City, a preliminary framework, based on a joint ethic of justice and care, is outlined to guide tourism development, marketing and policy making in the Just Destination and to offer performative resistance to a globalized culture of consumption.

Reviewed by: Book Reviews Diane Perpich Connected Lives: Human Nature and an Ethics of Care. By RUTH E. GROENHOUT. Lanham, Md.: Rowman and Littlefield, 2004. In Connected Lives: Human Nature and an Ethics of Care, Ruth Groenhout acknowledges that central components of her project—the notions of human nature and human flourishing and the idea of an ethics of care—are "suspect . . . in certain sectors of feminist thought" (2). The Western philosophical tradition has too often had recourse to the idea of a fixed human nature in [End Page 224] justifying women's treatment as second-class citizens for appeals to human nature to sit easily with contemporary feminists (105). Likewise, the ethics of care has been criticized almost from its inception on the grounds that it pays too much attention to the emotional dimension of interpersonal relationships and too little to the social and political institutions that construct and constrain those same emotions and relations (106). Despite this anticipated double resistance, Groenhout argues that care theory cannot function without an ideal of human flourishing that requires the theorist to develop a picture of human nature. The picture Groenhout paints is one in which human embodiment and finitude lead us to see human lives as inescapably structured by dependence on other human beings and to see the fundamental moral response to this dependence as care. Along the way, the author enlists the aid of Augustine and Emmanuel Levinas to show that care theory is not (and never has been) an ethics for "women only" but is central to what it means to be a human being and to live a distinctively human life. At the end of the book, armed with an ideal of "natural" human flourishing that borrows as much from Aristotle as anyone, Groenhout looks at the practices of assisted reproduction and human cloning from the moral perspective of care. The core chapters of the book are devoted to articulating the theory of human nature and human flourishing that Groenhout argues is already implicit in the works of such canonical care-theory authors as Nel Noddings, Sara Ruddick, Virginia Held, and Joan Tronto. Groenhout endorses a four-fold view of human beings in which care, embodiment (and hence particularity), finitude (and hence interdependency), and sociality take pride of place. She defines care as "the emotion involved in tending to the physical needs of others" (24) and, like Noddings and Hume, inclines to the view that we come by caring attitudes naturally: humans have "natural tendencies to offer and receive care from one another" (27). Further, she supports Noddings's claim that a moral imperative to care would not arise if not for this natural foundation. Where Groenhout goes beyond Noddings is in developing an account of the "origins" of "that initial and basic caring response" (73). She invokes an Augustinian picture of "the fundamental goodness of creation" to provide an "explanation for why humans are naturally created to care" (75). This theistic framework—which equally drives the reading of Levinas—purportedly saves care theory from the relativistic conclusion that "we care because we care" (75). In her readings of Augustine and Levinas in chapters 2 and 3, Groenhout is careful to distance her employment of these thinkers from the objectionable stereotypes of women each has served up even as she discovers insights in their work that can be applied to care theory and arguments useful in defending the care perspective against its critics. Conversely, she emphasizes ways in which care theory offers a corrective to Augustine's naturalized social hierarchy and Levinas's inadequate development of the political implications of an ethics [End Page 225] sensitive to difference. To the extent that feminism in general has something of a "blind spot" when it comes to religious transcendence, Groenhout finds Augustine and Levinas companionable fellow travelers that "encourage us to recognize that human life is lived in the presence of sacredness" (130). Though Levinas explicitly rejected the notion of the sacred, this does not undermine Groenhout's claim that both philosophers teach us that "God is recognized in the other person" (130). This is an appealing idea for the author since it combines recognition of a transcendent (nonsubjective) and...

Decline of Aging: Aesthetics and Ethics of Care.

This chapter explores the thematic motifs and epistemological stances that make it possible to bring closer together, in spite of all that separates them, the moral philosophy of Adorno and the ethics of care, including: the place each attributes to the body in their respective conceptions of morality; the attention they both bring to bear on the singular insofar as it is imperilled by the general and the universal; their ways of envisaging a moral reasoning out of keeping with philosophical tradition; the continuity that both postulate between inner and outer nature and the moral obligations that this continuity entails.

This is a multi-disciplinary applied ethics thesis in the field of applied environmental business ethics. As such, whilst it is primarily anchored in philosophical literature; theory and literature from the fields of environment, education, management, social science, and psychology, all play a significant part. As this is an applied ethics thesis, as opposed to a traditional philosophy thesis, it not only addresses the issue concerned, but also theoretically demonstrates how the proposed alternative approaches might be applied. Methodologically, the underpinning assumption for the thesis stems from the social constructionist belief that external influences can result in internal personal change. The overall thesis has been designed and structured taking a systems approach. As in nature itself, there is an overall aim or system, within which there are many interconnecting sub-systems or theories that can stand alone, but are also directly linked to each other so that my desired outcome can be achieved. In addition, the McCarthy/Kolb 4 Mat System of learning style preference has been embedded into the structure. Due to the multi-disciplinary and applied nature of the thesis, together with the aim and content of the study, a number of specific writing techniques have been employed. These techniques are intended to model some of the recommended strategies, and include inclusive language where possible, and a minimum amount of assumed knowledge, with narratives and stories sprinkled throughout each chapter, where relevant. Finally, a number of established theories have been used to support my proposal for a Heart-Centred Virtue Ethics. The foundation theory is virtue-based ethics, with a primary focus on the work of David Hume, and to a lesser extent Aristotle. This foundation theory is, in turn, supported by a number of dimensions of environmental philosophy including ecofeminism, ethics of care, and the transformational aspect of deep ecology. The relatively new management field of emotional intelligence also plays a major role. The context in which the thesis is set is sustainability from an organisational perspective, and the motivations for caring for nature, which are generally based on externally imposed, content-driven rules, from an anthropocentric perspective. However, I argue that the ideal motivation for caring for nature is based internally, on environmental virtue. Thus, people are taking care of the environment because in their heart they want to, not begrudgingly because externally imposed rules say that they have to. I suggest that movement through various levels of motivation to virtue might occur with an increase in ecological consciousness. In support of these claims, the main elements of environmental philosophy are discussed, and the relevant theories of virtue are presented, including environmental virtue. It is then argued that virtue per se is not enough – that for one to be environmentally virtuous, one needs to have some kind of relationship with nature. To that end, the tenets of ecofeminism, and ethics of care, both based on the notion of relationship, are introduced. However, the dilemma is then presented; “How do you persuade the predominantly male business community of the benefits of the so-called soft skills of virtue, ecofeminism, and ethics of care?” An answer comes in the form of the new management field of emotional intelligence that is gaining acceptance amongst leading-edge organisations worldwide. Having introduced the concept of emotional intelligence, I then demonstrate that the main characteristics and aims of emotional intelligence are virtually identical to those of ethics of care and virtue, and ecofeminism. Therefore, initially the aims of these philosophies can be achieved within the business community, under the guise of emotional intelligence. With all the relevant theories firmly in place, I then return to the notion of raising ecological consciousness, and argue that one way that ecological consciousness might be raised is with a process-oriented, action strategy, that I call Heart-Centred Virtue Ethics. I then theoretically explore the application of heart-centred virtue ethics which is primarily based on emotional intelligence implementation strategies, combined with some intellectual intelligence procedures, and a third ingredient, meta-intelligence.

While care ethics has frequently been criticized for lacking an account of autonomy, this paper argues that care ethics’ relational model of moral agency provides the basis for criticizing the philosophical tradition's model of autonomy and for rethinking autonomy in relational terms. Using Diana Meyers s account of autonomy competency as a basis, a dialogical model of autonomy is developed that can respond to internal and external critiques of care ethics.

Drawing on the epistemological tradition of feminist care theory and care ethics, this article analyzes Boris Groys’s contribution to the philosophy of care in order to highlight the implications of care issues in the context of art, which is an important reference point for both his and my own investigation. After an introductory overview of the problematic and conceptualization of care, I address Groys’s position. I then provide insights into feminist care ethics and the philosophy of the body, care aesthetics and care work, before turning to art care. In a concluding synthesis, I argue for a different philosophy of care in the light of a reorientation of our understanding of care work in general and in the art world in particular. Methodologically, I combine philosophical exegesis and critical theory, referring to the feminist critique of the Western philosophical tradition as expressed in Groys’s work. I remain at the discursive level of the philosophical study of care and its dialog with the broader field of feminist theory and care ethics, including in relation to care work and art care in the contemporary museum economy.

This paper explores the transformative potential of feminist research-creation through the lens of krisis and collaborative world-building, positioning research-creation as both a method and an ethic of care. Revisiting the ancient Greek concept of krisis—a moment of judgment and discernment—as a framework for inquiry, the author contrasts her prior scholarly work embedded in traditional frameworks of critique, often rooted in metaphors of violence, with the reparative methodologies developed through her work with the Decameron Collective. Over four years of iterative collaboration, the Collective produced award-winning multimodal digital projects Decameron 2.0 and Memory Eternal, which use storytelling, co-creation, and curation to respond creatively to crises from the pandemic to climate change. This paper argues that research co-creation can redefine krisis as a site of generative potential, where making and theorizing intertwine to produce new forms of knowledge and connection. By centering relationality, materiality, and feminist ethics, the Collective’s work moves beyond solitary modes of inquiry to establish a collaborative, care-driven practice. Situating research-creation within philosophical traditions of theoria and contemporary feminist thought, the paper highlights a number of ways such collaborative creation and curation can sustain communities, foster epistemological innovation, and offer reparative responses to crises. The paper ultimately positions research co-creation and co-authorship integrating storytelling, digital design, and collective reflection in slow scholarship as a vital methodology for navigating complex global challenges and reimagining the role of scholarship in a world facing ongoing crises.

This paper explores the transformative potential of feminist research-creation through the lens of krisis and collaborative world-building, positioning research-creation as both a method and an ethic of care. Revisiting the ancient Greek concept of krisis—a moment of judgment and discernment—as a framework for inquiry, the author contrasts her prior scholarly work embedded in traditional frameworks of critique, often rooted in metaphors of violence, with the reparative methodologies developed through her work with the Decameron Collective. Over four years of iterative collaboration, the Collective produced award-winning multimodal digital projects Decameron 2.0 and Memory Eternal, which use storytelling, co-creation, and curation to respond creatively to crises from the pandemic to climate change. This paper argues that research co-creation can redefine krisis as a site of generative potential, where making and theorizing intertwine to produce new forms of knowledge and connection. By centering relationality, materiality, and feminist ethics, the Collective’s work moves beyond solitary modes of inquiry to establish a collaborative, care-driven practice. Situating research-creation within philosophical traditions of theoria and contemporary feminist thought, the paper highlights a number of ways such collaborative creation and curation can sustain communities, foster epistemological innovation, and offer reparative responses to crises. The paper ultimately positions research co-creation and co-authorship integrating storytelling, digital design, and collective reflection in slow scholarship as a vital methodology for navigating complex global challenges and reimagining the role of scholarship in a world facing ongoing crises.

Background and Purpose. Competence and commitment to ethical practice is fundamental to the professional development of physical therapist students. Recent research in neuroethics and ethical decision making has illustrated the importance of emotions in moral behavior and ethical decision making. The purpose of this paper is to highlight and explore the importance of emotions in making ethical decisions and to advocate for a role of emotional considerations in physical therapist education program curricula. Position and Rationale. Increased education in the role of emotions in moral behavior and ethical decision making should be a priority for physical therapists and students enrolled in physical therapist professional education programs. The rationale for this position is based on contemporary theories of bioethics and recent research in neuroethics that has uncovered the nexus between emotions and reason that results in caring and empathetic ethical decision making. This position is consistent with A Normative Model of Physical Therapist Professional Education. That document lists caring and compassion as primary values for professional development of physical therapists. Recommendations. Faculty involved in professional physical therapist education need to consider what implications including emotions in ethical decision making could have for physical therapist practice and education. This paper provides some strategies of learning experiences that facilitate emotional reflection in ethical decision making and that may be integrated into a preexisting curriculum. Key Words: Ethics, Morality, Emotions, Feelings, Reason. BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE The following article is based on the position that morality and ethics are rooted deeply in the Western philosophic tradition that elevates rational decision making above emotions. With few exceptions, emotions have been continually allocated secondary status in Western tradition that historically was a rationalist tradition - an approach founded on the fundamental dichotomy between the rational and irrational, between the emotional and physical.1-4 Kant,5 for example, argued that absolute universally moral principles can be derived from the essence of pure practical reason, and that passion is reason's antagonist and it struggles with reason over the control of the will. His writing helped formed the basis of the ethical theory of deontology, or duty-based ethics, that in turn forms the basis of most health care ethical codes, including the American Physical Therapy Association Code of Ethics.6 Deontology theory holds that an individual is acting rightly when he or she is acting according to duties and rights. To many health care professionals who embrace the centrality of rationality in decision making, the acknowledgement of emotions and feelings signify unprofessional behavior and, at times, weakness.7 Callahan,8 however, reminds us that, as we think through moral options and pursue sound logical arguments, negative and positive emotions and feelings can arise that influence our moral behavior. Zhong9 concurs, and argues that rational, ethical decision making may actually license unethical behavior when it minimizes certain negative and positive emotions such as guilt, contempt, disgust, gratitude, awe, or elevation. In recent years there has been increasing recognition of the importance of emotions related to empathy, virtue ethics, ethics of caring, and self-reflection in ethics education.1011 Contemporary educators criticize a rational and technical approach that overemphasizes logical thinking as lacking imagination and feelings.13,13-18 But despite such criticism, many models, training curricula, texts, and empirical and theoretical literature that consider components of moral behavior-including ethical decision making-continue to emphasize disproportionately a rational approach to solving moral issues and dilemmas. The premises of this paper are that Western ethical tradition emphasizes reason at the expense of emotion and that physical therapy has followed a rational model of ethical decision making using a linear principlebased approach. …

The article is a socio-philosophical study of family ritual through the categories of“holiday”and“morality”. According to the authors, family rituals have existential, cultural and socio-ethical significance. The authors rely on the concepts of M.Eliade, M.Heidegger, W.Turner, T.Adorno and D.Cook, as well as the Kazakh philosophical tradition of Al-Farabi, A.Kunanbayev, M.S.Shaikemelev, to show the dual nature of family leisure: its potential as a space of authenticity and care, and its vulnerability to the forces of commercializa-tion and cultural conformism. The analysis covers key aspects: the cyclicality and liminality of holidays, their role in the formation of family and cultural identity, the intersubjective dimension of shared time, as well as the influence of social inequality and global crises on the structure and content of leisure. An important place is occupied by the Kazakh context, where family holidays are associated with the traditions of nomadic herit-age, the moral ideal of“adam bol”and the ethics of care. The authors argue that the authenticity of a family holiday is possible only with a shift in emphasis from consumption to presence, from external images to in-ternal meaning. Family recreation is presented as an act of ethical presence and cultural memory, capable of resisting alienation and preserving the connection between generations. Thus, it acts as a practice of moral improvement and the embodiment of virtue in the Aristotelian sense, where leisure becomes a space for eudaimonia and moral self-realization of a person

Background/Context Our article develops insights from Paul Woodruff's book, Reverence: Renewing a Forgotten Virtue (Oxford University Press, 2001), to discuss reverence in teaching. We show how reverence is both a cardinal and a forgotten virtue by situating it within the philosophical tradition of virtue ethics, which involves traits of character as embodied predispositions to act in certain ways in concrete contexts. Virtue ethics sometimes conflicts with abstract, rule-governed ethics, much as the ethics of care does. Virtue ethics appeals to emotional conviction in ways that rule-governed ethics does not. This article looks specifically at the emotions of shame and respect that are associated with reverence for the high ideals that may bind together an otherwise diverse, even diverging, schooling community. Purpose/Objective/Research Question/Focus of Study The purpose of this article is to understand spiritual dimensions of teaching by elucidating the cardinal and forgotten virtue of reverence. Reverence has a power beyond a typical understanding of it as something religious. The article shows reverence in a wider context that does not diminish its spiritual connotations, but rather shows its importance and relevance to teaching in today's classrooms. The study considers how the virtue of reverence is supported by appropriate classroom ritual and ceremony and discusses several examples of reverence and irreverence in classroom teaching. Research Design Philosophical analysis combined with qualitative case study analyses as illustrations. Conclusions/Recommendations To be reverent is to realize that we as humans are limited and imperfect, and the proper reaction to this state is humility, awe, and wonder. In subsequent articles, we will examine reverence in educational leadership and in a school's community. Our goal in this article and those to follow is to restore reverence to its rightful place in the ordinary daily activities of teachers in relation to administrators, students, and parents in school and in the community.

Gilligan's different voice

English-speaking research on morally right decisions in a healthcare context over the past few decades has been dominated by two major perspectives, namely, the four principles, of which the principle of respect for autonomy has been most salient, and the ethic of care, often presented as a rival to not only a focus on autonomy but also a reliance on principles more generally. In my contribution, I present a novel ethic applicable to bioethical issues in general, and human procreation in particular, that I argue is a promising alternative to these two approaches. According to this moral theory, an act is right just insofar as it treats people’s capacity to commune with respect, where communing is a matter of identifying with others and exhibiting solidarity with them. This ethic is inspired by relational ideals from the African philosophical tradition, but is shown to be of interest to a broad, global audience with regard to its implications for the morality of reproduction.

Arthur Schopenhauer (1788–1860) is renowned as one of the most extreme misogynists in the history of Western philosophy. However, women writers also promoted his works and also drew on his metaphysics and ethics as they developed their own philosophical and feminist positions. The chapter starts by sketching in the role and range of Schopenhauerian women philosophers and writers. The chapter then focuses on two case-studies: May Sinclair (1863–1946), a neglected British Idealist, and Simone de Beauvoir (1908–1986) whose early passion for Schopenhauer helped shape the negative view of female embodiment evident in her published works. The chapter ends with some comments on the relevance of Schopenhauer to post-1968 feminisms, including the “ethics of care”, and Luce Irigaray’s engagement with Indian philosophical traditions.