Care Ethics and Phenomenology: a Contested Kinship

This book investigates the relationship between philosophical

phenomenology and ethics of care. The relationship between these two

traditions in normative philosophy is particularly fascinating for

theoretical scholars, researchers as well as bioethicists and health

care clinicians. Both traditions elucidate the normative significance of

human experience, emotion and embodiment. One reason for investigating

the relationship is that care is both a concept (ethical, sociological

etc.), a practice, and a phenomenon that has significant bearing upon

human existence. Care as a phenomenon and concept also regards the human

condition and experience as being invested with normativity.

The book brings together care ethicists of different scholarly

generations and from different countries (Belgium, Norway, USA, the

Netherlands) who each explain their version of phenomenology, and

secondly it includes three of today’s prominent German phenomenologists

who have reflected on care. Hopefully, the collection will stimulate

care ethicists to inquire more deeply into phenomenology, and

phenomenologists looking for connection with care ethics.