ABSTRACT
The ethics of care envisions a distinct contribution to humanity. It’s an elaborate moral philosophy although similar to women’s rights in that it, too, is based in the distinct life experience of women. The formulators of the ethics of care took issue with the traditional reason-based moral philosophers, notably Immanuel Kant and his “categorical imperative” assertion of a duty to make personal decisions that could be fairly applied universally. David Hume suggests incorporating experience into the judgments may be quite implicit, just second nature, “without the assistance of the memory.” Looking to Hume, New Zealand native Annette C. Baier of the University of Pittsburgh was among the pioneers who first formulated the ethics of care. Nel Noddings of Stanford was among the first proponents of care ethics to gain prominence.
