Stephan McCants

Focused Inquiry 2

Dr. Laws

February 21, 2024

I am a firm believer in the care ethics lens as being the best and most virtuous way of

living. We talk about the way of Daoism and I relate it to the way everyone interacts with each

other. Whether someone treats another with kindness is up to the way they convey said kindness

and whether the other person perceives the kindness with the original intentions of the delivered.

The care ethics lens focuses on relationships and empathy being its main points showing that in

order to live the “Good Life” one needs to have good people around them. I believe that

everyone deserves to be treated equally and have the same opportunities as others. I argue that

the 14th Dalai Lama Tenzin Gyatso was a huge political figure that encouraged and taught the

idea of fair opportunity. He is a moral exemplar that stays firm to his beliefs; he was so robust

that he stopped the tradition of the dalai lamas stating that that is too much power for a man.

Care ethics is the most important to me because it seems to be the most desirable way to

achieve the said good life. Living by care ethics means putting relationships and empathy at the

forefront of how we live. It's all about recognizing the importance of caring for others and being

there for them. When we prioritize understanding and supporting one another, we create a more

compassionate and connected world. Most parents or guardians tell their children to treat others

the way you want to be treated. It’s a very simple way of looking at it but that’s how easy being a

good person is. Some people believe in karma. I'm not too supportive of the idea but a lot of
people determine that if you treat someone really badly it may come back to that person whether

that means literally by the person that they wronged or spiritually meaning anything bad

happening is a consequence of earlier actions. When I prioritize caring for others, It ensures that

I have a lot of people who have my back and who I can rely on. Plus, showing compassion and

empathy tends to come back to me, which people are more likely to treat me well when they see

me treating others with kindness.

Other than the care ethics lens there are other belief systems that people will live by and

deem important. The rights approach for example is what most conservatives in America live by.

Living under the rights ethics lens is all about being super dedicated to defending everyone's

freedoms and rights, no matter what. It's about respecting each person's uniqueness and treating

them with dignity, while also sticking to values like fairness and equality. People who dig rights

ethics really take their time to think things through and make sure their actions line up with

what's morally right for everyone. It's like being a watchdog for justice, always on the lookout to

make sure nobody's rights get trampled on. It’s super important to them because it emphasizes

earning everything on their own with how much power they can exfoliate. Individuality can be a

good thing as it prioritizes hard work, but it leaves people with less opportunities to fend for

themselves. As it also encourages people to step over one another to achieve whatever goal they

want. It goes contrary to what I believe the care ethics wants to accomplish.

Although care ethics places a strong emphasis on empathy, relationships, and

compassion, it is occasionally criticized for having the tendency to put moral issues second to

emotional ties. Critics argue that placing so much emphasis on care could encourage bias or
favoritism based on personal connections, perhaps ignoring the interests and rights of people

outside of one's close circle of care. Also, it is possible to argue that care ethics lack precise

standards for making decisions in difficult moral situations, especially when providing care for

one person clashes with providing care for another, or when providing care clashes with justice

or other ethical principles. Personally, I believe everything has its downsides but the overarching

goal of forming relationships is to help each other in the time of need and it can come back if you

need something from the person you assisted. Not only personal relations, but

business/professional relationships can be very beneficial to someone. A lot of high paying jobs

or careers require people to have experience and references and they need to intern at some of

these places to get their name out there. If people don’t like to work with you sometimes their

accolades and accomplishments will falter due to their bad reputation or personality or whatever

negative thing they happened to be a part of.

The utilitarian approach is another important lens to me. It describes the happiness of the

masses rather than the happiness of the individual. “Utilitarianism is generally held to be the

view that the morally right action is the action that produces the most good.” It offers an easy

way of moral decision-making that may be used in a variety of situations by concentrating on

what is best for the largest number of people. Furthermore, utilitarianism promotes a more

sympathetic and caring society by encouraging people to think about the needs and interests of

others and encouraging selflessness. Being part of a whole rather than being by yourself is good

for your mental health as well. Just because it may feel like you may sacrifice a little bit of your

own happiness doesn't mean you won’t get serotonin and relief that you were the bigger person.

My parents sacrificed a lot so I can be where I am today and I personally would like to return
that favor and live to help people. Just being a decent person fills me with joy; as I know not

everyone has the same luxuries as I do and I never take for granted the opportunities presented

before me.

There isn’t a for sure way to live the “good life”. There’s too many circumstances and a

lot of probability when it comes to the path someone takes in their life. Some may say being the

richest man alive is living a good life,while others such as myself don’t consider having an

immense amount of wealth to be the end all be all of one's success. Aristotle believed that

humans are social beings and that meaningful relationships and connections with others are

essential for a good life. This includes cultivating friendships based on respect, trust, and support

that enhance the feelings of each individual. I support what Aristotle mentions in his teachings,

although some may argue that his methods were lacking in sufficient detail thus leading to some

confusion. Critics say that the way he explains being a good person can or cannot work in every

situation because there may be a time when helping someone out causes more danger to both

parties resulting in a messier outcome. So as to say not everything is black and white, there’s

nuance to everything and finding everyone’s niche way of living is the greatest achievement one

can find.

Citations

Driver, Julia. “The History of Utilitarianism.” Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, Stanford

University, 22 Sept. 2014, plato.stanford.edu/entries/utilitarianism-history/.

Jules. “Five Basic Approaches to Ethical Decision-Making.” Ethically Philosophical, 3 May

2018,
ethicallyphilosophical.wordpress.com/2018/05/03/five-basic-approaches-to-ethical-decision-ma

king/.

University, Santa Clara. “Care Ethics.” Markkula Center for Applied Ethics,

www.scu.edu/ethics/ethics-resources/ethical-decision-making/care-ethics/care-ethics.html.

Accessed 22 Feb. 2024.