Care Ethics and the Feminist Personalism of Edith Stein

0558808 - FLÚ 2023 RIV CH eng J - Journal Article
Urban, Petr
Care Ethics and the Feminist Personalism of Edith Stein.
Philosophies. Roč. 7, č. 3 (2022), č. článku 60. E-ISSN 2409-9287
R&D Projects: GA ČR(CZ) GA19-20031S
Institutional support: RVO:67985955
Keywords : Edith Stein * care ethics * personalism * feminism * empathy * emotions * caring * phenomenology
OECD category: Ethics (except ethics related to specific subfields)
Impact factor: 0.9, year: 2022
Method of publishing: Open access
https://doi.org/10.3390/philosophies7030060

The personalist ethics of Edith Stein and her feminist thought are intrinsically interrelated. This unique connection constitutes perhaps the main novelty of Stein’s ethical thought that makes her a forerunner of some recent developments in feminist ethics, particularly ethics of care. A few scholars have noticed the resemblance between Stein’s feminist personalism and care ethics, yet none of them have properly explored it. This paper offers an in-depth discussion of the overlaps and differences between Stein’s ethical insights and the core ideas of care ethics. It argues that both Stein and care ethicists relocate a certain set of practices, values and attitudes from the periphery to the center of ethical reflection. This includes relationality, emotionality and care. The paper finally argues that it is plausible and fruitful to read Stein’s advocacy of `woman’s values and attitudes’ in a critical feminist way, rather than as an instance of essentialist difference feminism.
Permanent Link: https://hdl.handle.net/11104/0336234