#ethics of care

[omegaphilosophia]

The Philosophy of Ubuntu

The philosophy of Ubuntu is a traditional African ethical and philosophical concept that emphasizes community, interconnectedness, and shared humanity. Originating from the Bantu languages of southern Africa, the term "Ubuntu" can be translated as "I am because we are" or "humanity towards others." It reflects the belief that an individual's identity and well-being are deeply rooted in their relationships with others and that the community's welfare is integral to the individual's welfare.

Key Concepts in the Philosophy of Ubuntu:

Interconnectedness:

Communal Identity: Ubuntu posits that individuals are intrinsically linked to their communities. A person is not seen as an isolated entity but as part of a larger social fabric. This interconnectedness means that one's actions affect others, and the community's well-being is vital to each individual's well-being.

Relational Ontology: The concept suggests that being human is fundamentally about relationships with others. One's existence and identity are defined through interaction and connection with other people.

Human Dignity and Respect:

Inherent Worth: Ubuntu emphasizes the inherent dignity of every human being. It advocates for treating others with respect, compassion, and empathy, recognizing that everyone shares a common humanity.

Mutual Respect: In Ubuntu, respect is not merely a social nicety but a fundamental ethical obligation. Treating others with dignity is seen as essential to maintaining harmony and community cohesion.

Collective Responsibility:

Shared Responsibility: Ubuntu promotes the idea that members of a community have a collective responsibility for each other’s welfare. This includes supporting those in need, resolving conflicts through dialogue and reconciliation, and fostering an environment where everyone can thrive.

Ethics of Care: The philosophy encourages an ethic of care, where individuals actively contribute to the well-being of others, understanding that their own well-being is tied to the community's overall health.

Social Harmony and Reconciliation:

Peace and Reconciliation: Ubuntu values social harmony and seeks to resolve conflicts through restorative rather than retributive justice. The goal is to restore relationships and repair the social fabric, often through forgiveness and reconciliation.

Consensus Building: Decision-making within an Ubuntu framework often involves consensus-building processes, where the views of all community members are considered, and solutions are sought that benefit the collective.

Solidarity and Cooperation:

Unity and Cooperation: Ubuntu emphasizes solidarity, cooperation, and unity among people. It encourages collaborative efforts in all aspects of life, from family and community to work and governance, with the understanding that collective action leads to greater success and fulfillment.

Generosity and Sharing: The philosophy promotes generosity and sharing of resources, knowledge, and support, reflecting the belief that prosperity is achieved through collective effort.

Humanism and Morality:

Moral Framework: Ubuntu provides a moral framework that stresses the importance of kindness, generosity, and ethical behavior. It encourages individuals to act in ways that enhance the community’s well-being and to avoid actions that harm others.

Human-Centered Philosophy: Ubuntu is deeply humanistic, focusing on the value and dignity of each person and the importance of fostering positive human relationships.

Application in Modern Contexts:

Leadership and Governance: Ubuntu has been influential in shaping leadership and governance in post-apartheid South Africa and other African nations. Leaders inspired by Ubuntu prioritize the welfare of their people, seek to heal divisions, and promote social justice.

Global Relevance: While rooted in African traditions, the principles of Ubuntu have been embraced globally as a model for ethical leadership, conflict resolution, and community building. It offers a counterpoint to individualistic and competitive models of society by emphasizing cooperation, empathy, and the common good.

Ubuntu in Philosophy and Ethics:

Comparative Ethics: Ubuntu is often compared with other ethical systems, such as Confucianism, which also emphasizes the importance of relationships and community. It offers a unique perspective on ethics that prioritizes collective well-being over individual autonomy.

Challenges and Critiques: Some critiques of Ubuntu focus on its potential for communal pressure to conform, possibly at the expense of individual freedom. Others argue that while Ubuntu provides a strong ethical foundation, it must be adapted to fit modern, diverse societies.

The philosophy of Ubuntu offers a profound and holistic approach to understanding human relationships, ethics, and community. It underscores the importance of interconnectedness, mutual respect, and collective responsibility, providing a framework for fostering social harmony and promoting the common good. Ubuntu's principles are increasingly recognized and applied beyond African contexts, resonating with global movements toward more compassionate, cooperative, and just societies.

[kyriefae]

I interviewed for a job today that I really want.

I genuinely hope I get it. Not because I need a job for it's own sake, because I have that and recognize the privilege I've earned even if it's come at the cost of sacrificing my time for a position that wastes my potential-- I digress.

I really, really want to work in a way I'm helping people. I live in a world determined by liars and cheats but that doesn't change anything about my existential project.

Point of the matter is: I can't believe I haven't brought up The Good Place in job interviews before.

If I don't land this job, which will hurt like no other, I am going to set a plan to always find a way to interject something straight out of The Good Place. Even if it's just a line from Kristen Bell.

p.s. - one of my interviewers reciprocated my humor (which is so Eleanor btw) and I just have my hopes located in an upward direction for the first time in too long

[bubblewhale]

Im reading Caren Gilligan's book: Ina a Different Voice. Talking about a poc mother that rather killed her daughter than to let her live in slavery. There is a great tension inside a person living in oppresive society, and the need for separation and personal power that the systemic opression is built on. So by commiting the most horrible crime of killing or rape, this person drasticaly severes themselves from the relationship with the other/loved one. The most painful part is the level of dissociation from self that takes place in order to be able to do this act. Anyways this post is about Sasuke and his wish to severe his last standing connection to Naruto by killing him, in order to seperate and gain power in society. And it's also about the level of dissociation from self that would be necessary in order to do this, and the level of emotional release, authenticity and vulnerability that comes from accepting his bond with Naruto in the end. By choosing relationship and connection over the pain and destruction of dissociation, he chose love and true morality and himself.

[thebtseffect]

Care-full Fandom: BTS, ARMY, and the Ethics of Care 

originally presented at the 2022 Northeast and American Popular Culture Association conference

BTS's impeccable performances, healing messages, and never-ending list of "firsts" are a testament to the group's impact on the global pop culture landscape. Although the scale of their success has led to discussions surrounding the "BTS phenomenon" and ARMY fandom, there is a need for deeper considerations of BTS's impact on the nature of their fandom. How and why are ARMY influenced by BTS? Drawing on the concept of ethics of care, this presentation aims to delve into how BTS embodies care and how ARMY reflects those expressions of care.

[kyriefae]

My love for this show having an impact at sharing moral philosophy in a popular setting knows no bounds.

Especially when it's the moral philosophies that inspire humanism, ethics of care, existential projects, and anti-nihilism.

My sweet Chidi. 🥹

The Good Place (2016-2020)

[faeriekit]

"This fic was ai generated—" Cool, so lemme block you real quick

[figuringoutstill]

"All too often our mode of listening deteriorates into intellectual sorting, with the professional grabbing the veterans’ words from the air and sticking them into mental bins . We assume we know what we’re hearing, that we don’t really have to listen, that we’ve heard it all before ... (We) resemble museum-goers whose whole experience consists of mentally saying, ‘That’s cubist! That’s El Greco!’ and who never see anything they’ve looked at ... listening in this way, destroys trust .”

Jonathan Shay (in Achilles in Vietnam)

[philosophicalcrumbs]

Can you conceive the existence of a being who is incapable of caring for anyone? To be completely devoid of empathy and love?

For the purpose however, of diagnosing the terminal stage of any relationship: it makes it easy to identify whether some cares for you or not, for care is the primary symptom of a being who loves.

Jennifer Chang, from "Dialogues (Against Literature)"

[delicourse]

i miss them a little if im gonna be honest

[leadingincontext]

Ethical Leaders Care (Part 2)

By Linda Fisher Thornton Leading With Care Using an ethics of care changes how we think and act as leaders. It helps us remember that each person is important and that treating each other with care is part of our shared human experience. Caring shows that we know that people are more than task-doers and that leading is more than tactical, more than obligatory, and more than just a…

[kyriefae]

Unpopular, yet fun opinion time: I believe that hot dogs are sandwiches, chili is soup, and chili dogs are a soup/sandwich combo you're able to eat with your hands and sprinkle cheese on top for fun.

I think that's great.

...also straws? They have zero holes.

Okay, buh bye!!

[kyriefae]

This.

Relatability up to 100%.

You wanna know what? An eventuality? How about we focus on what we do together? Yeah? Let's win!

Love 13 🥹

thirteen's era appreciation: 448/?

[darthfoil]

"Now, when I say care, I’m using it as a loaded word to mean: the ways in which we support people, fully and wholly, love them unconditionally, and incorporate them into the fabric of our lives. "Care, as I am describing, is almost always reserved for romantic relationships."

Source : Decrying Desirability, Demanding Care by Samantha Marie Nock

Scary for those of us without those relationships.

[mylordshesacactus]

Like when I talk about the level of negligence here, please understand.

These are a group of the most obnoxiously privileged people in the universe, who paid obscene amounts of money for the sole purpose of gawking at a mass fucking grave and acting like this made them Awesome Explorers Who Did Totally Real Science while gushing about how it’s just like a movie with zero respect or reverence for the reality of what they were seeing. Just for the cool factor.

So when I say that the level of arrogant disregard for their safety on the part of the company that knowingly, willingly sent them down there in unsafe and unrated death cannisters while lying to them about it is so egregious that the entitled billionaire pricks who fucked around and found out have my complete and total sympathy as victims?

It’s that bad. It’s very, very fucking bad.

[menlove]

exciting post from james menlove ur local beatles rpf mutual but i'm sooo curious on where this tide has shifted over the last few years bc i remember 2016 when it was world-ending discourse