The Ethics of Care from the Perspective of Virginia Held

Virginia Held believes that while some propose replacing the term ―ethics of care‖ with ―ethics of love‖ or ―relational ethics,‖ the term ―ethics of care‖ remains the most appropriate among these alternatives. In her view, care is a concept tied to the lived realities and practices of people, rather than an idealized or impractical notion. She emphasizes that the ethics of care represents a distinct ethical theory or orientation, not merely a concern that can be added to or integrated within traditional approaches such as Kantian ethics, utilitarianism, or virtue ethics. According to Held, the primary role and focus of the ethics of care lies in attending to and meeting the individual needs of those for whom we are responsible. She argues that the ethics of care holds a more vital role than justice, in contrast to many past and contemporary thinkers. Her firm belief is that while life can remain intact without justice, it cannot endure without care. Justice, she asserts, does not concern itself with children, the elderly, the sick, or the disabled—unlike care. Therefore, she regards care as ontologically prior to justice, despite acknowledging the significant role that justice plays.