Moral Issue 13  Baier and Ruddick: Is care the measure of right action?

        Annette Baier and Sara Ruddick represent a movement in 20^th century feminist thought that makes care the measure of right action. They criticize the philosophies of Kant and Rawls that make justice the highest virtue. Kant had supported retributive justice in his political philosophy, and Rawls sought to reconcile retributive and distributive justice. Baier and Ruddick contend that care is a quality that deserves greater emphasis than it has received in Kant or Rawls with their emphasis on justice.

        STRENGTH: The positions of Baier and Ruddick reflect the experiences of women, whose roles have traditionally been those of caregivers. Policies formulated from the perspective of justice lead to violence when justice is viewed as retribution. To correct this tendency, Ruddick points out that policies adopted from the perspective of care would be likely to promote less violence in the world.

        WEAKNESS: The emphasis on care provides a corrective to an over-emphasis on justice. A morality of care emphasizes particular relationships, and the danger that arises is one of favoritism—family and friends can be given favored treatment. In public settings where certain skills are required, favoritism can take the form of nepotism and the corruption associated with the practice. A balance of justice principles and a morality of care are needed to avoid corruption.