MODULE 7: VIRTUE ETHICS II - DISTRIBUTIVE JUSTICE AND CARE ETHICS

1.1 Justice as a Virtue

• Plato: Justice is harmony — each part of the soul or society does its proper role.

  • Soul: Reason (wisdom), Spirit (courage), Desire (temperance) - ReSpDe

  • Society: Rulers (wisdom), Soldiers (courage), Workers (temperance) RuSoWo
    
    

• Aristotle:

  • General Justice = following good laws that help people grow morally

  • Particular Justice = being fair in how things are given (distributive) and fixed (corrective)
    
    

• Rawls: Justice is the most important value in society, like truth is in thought.

1.2 Types of Justice

1. Retributive – Fair punishment for wrongdoings
   
   

2. Compensatory – Fair compensation for losses
   
   

3. Distributive – Fair sharing of resources and burdens
   
   

4. Procedural – Fair decision-making process (due process)

ETHICS CARE: Carol Gilligan

• Morality isn’t just about rules and rights, but also about relationships and care.
  
  

• Men tend to focus on justice (what’s fair).
  Women often focus on care (what’s kind).
  
  

• Her stages of female moral development:
  
  

  1. Self-care (Individual survival)
     
     

  2. Self-sacrifice (Goodness to others)
     
     

Nonviolence (Balance between care for self and others)

ETHICS CARE: Nel Noddings

• Morality comes from natural caring, not just duty.
  
  

• We act morally because we want to care, not because we must care.
  
  

• Caring is a two-way relationship: "one-caring" and "one-cared-for."
  
  

• Moral decisions should be made based on the specific situation, not universal rules.
  
  

Emotions and personal connection matter in ethical decisions.