Ethic of Care

Key Question: What would an ethic of care towards the environment look like?

1. What would be needed to create it? It would require people being aware of what is happening and how our small actions are impacting the environment, just like the questions with the drowning boy, we tend to care more about what we know is happening, or something right in front of our eyes. Humans need to know more about our consequences, and also how to fix it. As the article states “an ethic defined in opposition to justice, a kind of labour, and a particular relationship”. In order to create an ethic of care, we need the knowledge to create a particular relationship, taking responsibilities and acting on it.

2. What would we have to believe about the environment? How should we see it? We need to stop disconnecting ourselves from nature and the environment. Whether humans are part of nature or not, we still need to take care of it because it is us humans that need nature to survive; nature does not need us. Just like the questions with the drowning boy, we instantly disconnect when we realize the issue is not in sight, however, we need start seeing it as something we can’t ignore, even if it’s out of sight, we will still be impacted by it.

3. How would we act? – give scenarios.  Caring more about the environment would include stopping many things we do such as littering, using too much plastic, wasting water, destroying trees and nature. Give education to schools or companies about how our actions are impacting nature negatively and make them aware that it is not something out of sight, but something we should care about. Big authorities such as the government should act on it as well; stop working with other big countries for cheap mass production which is causing bad air pollution in China and other countries. Act as if destroying nature is something we don’t simply ignore, but we can stop it, and save nature.

4. What would be different about the world if everyone adopted this ethic of care towards the environment? Benefits and drawbacks? Many other countries would have fresh air if we stopped mass production with countries such as China; the world would be greener and less animal and plant species going extinct; fresher food source and healthier. However, with too much respect and care for the environment, we could run out of food, such as meat, vegetables or fruits. It would restrict our activities, and there would be fewer job openings.

5. Should we adopt an ethic of care towards the environment? Yes, I think we should adopt an ethic of care to protect the environment, but with limitation so we don’t experience drawbacks. Humans would have to change our lifestyle, but certain ways of life will be hard to change. We have to save the environment but to an extent. We could potentially care too much about the environment to the point where we are destroying mankind.