Care ethics is a branch of moral philosophy that focuses on how we relate to, respond to, and care for each other. Its central question is not about what abstract principles of justice we should follow, but rather about how we should respond to the needs of a given person in a particular set of circumstances.
It’s been around for several decades, but now one of our colleagues here at UCL has applied it to a setting that we might not think its natural home: the world of punishment. Dr Helen Brown Coverdale argues that looking at our practices of punishment through the lens of care gives us a new and valuable perspective on them.
So what would it mean to approach punishment through an ethic of care? And what counterarguments might there be to taking such an approach?
Host: Dr Alan Renwick
Dr Helen Brown Coverdale
Caring and the Prison in Philosophy, Policy and Practice: Under Lock and Key
UCL’s Department of Political Science and School of Public Policy offers a uniquely stimulating environment for the study of all fields of politics, including international relations, political theory, human rights, public policy-making and administration. The Department is recognised for its world-class research and policy impact, ranking among the top departments in the UK on both the 2021 Research Excellence Framework and the latest Guardian rankings.
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Politics in Northern Ireland
Voting Systems and the Representation of Women
The Politics of Climate Change
The Origins of the Secular State
Courage in Politics
The Transformation of British Welfare Policy
The Origins of Social Trust
Why did Argentina invade the Malvinas/Falklands in 1982?
The Pedagogy of Politics
Freeing Bureaucrats to Succeed
Taking Offence
Intermarriage and Voting in Africa
Governments and Private Sector Suppliers
Public Preferences on Taxes and Spending
Online Public Shaming: Social Media, Ethics and Punishment
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COP26 in Review: Reflections on Glasgow
Regulating the Internet
Analysing Politicians’ Words
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