Research Paper Ethics of Care versus Ethics of Justice

Table of Contents

1.1-Abstract:-........................................................................................2
2.2- Introduction...................................................................................2
2.2.1- Ethics of justice.......................................................................2
2.2.2- Ethics of Care:-........................................................................3
3 -Literature Review:-..........................................................................3
4- Islamic view on Ethics of Care and Ethics justice:-.........................5
4.1-Ethics of Justice in Islam:-..........................................................5
4.2- Ethics of care In Islam................................................................6
4.2.1Islamic pyschology..................................................................6
4.2.2-Bayt al-Amal:-.......................................................................7
5- Research Methodolgy:......................................................................7
5.1-DATA ANALYSIS.......................................................................8
6- Arguments:.....................................................................................13
7- Conclusion......................................................................................14
8- Biblography....................................................................................14

Research Paper Ethics of Care versus Ethics of Justice

1.1-Abstract:In our research paper we have been trying to figure out that which ethical system is the best
Ethics of care or ethics of justice. Both are defining different views in the life of human
beings. People are living in this world knows about justice and Care but they never tried to
both ( CARE AND JUSTICE) at the same time .Few people are successful in doing these
both justice and care at the same time. There is always a contradiction in between justice and
care both that which ethical system is the best ethical system and is also universally
acceptable. But now the survival of human being is largely based on that at what extent both
have to act together and the contradiction must be removed. There is also a fact that both
these ethical are contradict on basis of masculine and feminine approach that what is in their
minds that what are they supporting Care or Justice or both. It depends according to the
situation. We have also done research by conducting a survey. Care is based on sympathies
and protection of something while justice is equal distribution of rights a moral rightness of
doing things. Ethics of care is sometimes universally acceptable that people says but it is
according to different perceptions of people about both that how they do perceive this all and
to which culture they belong because culture is having a big impact because ethical trends
vastly depends on Cultural backgrounds. In our research we are also focusing on Islamic
perspective that which ethical system is superior due to all this.

2.2- Introduction
2.2.1- Ethics of justice
Justice and equality are basically relative .That is concerned with relative conduct which is
given to people when repayment and burden are share when rules and laws are applied when
different people come together to gain it. Justice is equal distribution of rights and moral
rightness. As in we do think that Justice is more important than utilitarian Concerns: Greater
benefits for some do not justify in justice to others, however standards of justice dont ruin
the moral rights of peoples specially individuals. Justice is also based on individual moral
rights. It has also been said that means are most preferably will do justice and will favor it.
Justice is also having following types:
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)

Distributive Justice
Procedural Justice
Restorative justice
Retributive justice
Compensatory justice.

In distributive justice there is (fair share) that burdens and benefits are equally shared, while
in procedural justice we do (fair play) our procedure and mechanism is fair, in restorative one
demand for apology and compensation as Retributive justice refers to the just burden of
penalties and punishments and compensatory is giving compensation to someone against
something. Ethics in Islam is given below. While John Rawls Theory of justice says that there
is principle of liberty and principle of equality in liberty principle everyone has equal rights
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Research Paper Ethics of Care versus Ethics of Justice

and principle of equality says there should be no discrimination or any other inequality
measure. Everyone should be treated equally.
2.2.2- Ethics of Care:Care and sympathy are hand in hand both are interchangeable. Ethics of care is normative
band we need to have ethics for care and these are focus on response. It is stated that females
are more likely to do care. Care is universally acceptable. We encompass responsibility to
work out extraordinary care toward the community with whom we have loved, close
relations. Care, concern, love, friendship, and kindness are all sentiments or qualities that on
the whole clear this dimension of morality. Care is having four elements:1)
2)
3)
4)

Attentiveness.
Responsibility.
Competence.
Response.

Care is much more the principle of kindness that all humanity must have within them. It gives
us the harmony that gives our heart peace. As Carroll Gilligan views are Gilligans break
from an ethics of justice was explained in her text entitled.
In a Different Voice. As Siegfried (1989) points out that different voice is not
necessarily confined to women. An ethics of caring or nurturance extends to men as well
and is influenced by social, political and economic contexts.

3 -Literature Review:There has always been a conflict for those ethics researchers, who have been investigating
about ethics of justice and ethics of care. They are donating their lives for the cause that, what
to choose in a situation, whether to pick ethics of caring or to choose ethics of justice? In this

this orientation of ethics is directly proportional

to cultures of the country or the people belong to which society. Many different
paper we can clearly see that

researchers have been into it for finding out whats the real cause behind this conflict and
some of them have figured out that its mainly the masculine and feminine approach that has
roots and can be a prominent point that shows exact who chooses who? Either ethics of care
or ethics of justice? And they are quite correct in this sense. In this paper we will have a look
at different counties point of view about what to choose ethics of care or ethics of justice and
this will determine either feminine choose ethics of care or masculine, or vice versa? In this
paper, we are including Hofstedes (1980) teachings and his perceiving about the culture

according to
him feminine are always going for ethics of caring and masculine are
the one who choose ethics of justice as their priority because it provide an
difference that will lead to a conflict that may occur as what to choose, and

adequate basis for evaluating moral decisions. We have included many different sayings of
Hofstedes in our paper, where he has diminish about the conflict, that in which area and
culture people have different perceptions about care vs. justice. For this kind of study as our
respected teacher has given us this research paper project, we made an accurate questionnaire
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Research Paper Ethics of Care versus Ethics of Justice

that has different kind of situations written in it and different people have to choose between,
what will they actually do in that situation whether they are with ethics of care or justice?
And answers came out quite right, as in our paper we have made a whole column for our
research method, in that you will see that actually masculine and feminine can be
differentiated by what they have chosen and what they perceive.
In our paper we will actually come to know what ethics of justice is and what ethics of care
is. Introductory as we can say ethics of care closely focuses on character traits, they can be
sympathy, compensation etc. but on the other hand Ethics of justice

shows an equal

distribution of rights

among individuals. In this case we will see that how different

cultures stress their individualistic approaches to go for justice and how some cultures do for
else. Culture consideration is a lot more important for this conflict about care and justice.
Many different researchers have find out a lot more causes behind this cultural consideration
that has roots in causing conflicts between care and justice. Propositions are, countries whose
negotiators are labeled as feminine are more likely to take ethics of care as
their consideration, In contrast to countries whose negotiators are labeled as masculine. So
from that we will see in our paper that how this conflict can be resolved if masculine choose
ethics of justice and feminine who choose ethics of care.
After that we have included, what is ethics in Islam, what our Holy Prophet (S.A.W) has said
about being ethical and in what conditions He has shown us to choose Ethics of care or Ethics
of justice. We consider Him (S.A.W) as our mentor what His teachings are, are far more
likely to be accepted as a Muslim by us, so He has always been kind to mankind.
Even if He was hurt by non Muslims in His Era, He (S.A.W) never ever said anything bad
about them or cursed them. Instead He went kind to them, and gave them their rights and
equal rights were distributed to everyone

Even the slaves.

Non Believers of that era

used to call Him Sadiq and Ameen. Because He (S.A.W) never tried to cheat anyone or
deceive anybody, not even non believers. Thus His whole Life has been passed as a
messenger of Allah and as the most Ethical person of this Humankind. In
Islam what is given to us as a Muslim Is Quran. This is a complete code of conduct for a
human being not just for a Muslim but for this whole universe. Each and every situation is
prominently written in Quran that what to do in what situation? In Quran Allah has told us
about whom to care and when to do justice,

now its up to us that what we

choose is right or its wrong.

Whom we are saving and whom we are leaving as

nothing to us. This is our research paper that is following, a lot more things have been
included in our paper according to the research we have done, and what others have already
done according to their perspective.

4- Islamic view on Ethics of Care and Ethics justice:According to Islam following views are given in our research paper.
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Research Paper Ethics of Care versus Ethics of Justice

4.1-Ethics of Justice in Islam:As someone who specializes in reading Islamic texts and who seeks to understand some of
the crosscurrents of Islamic thought today, I would have to say that justice is the highest
value in Muslim discourse.
The demand for providing justice at every level of society features very prominently in the
Quran. At every level, be it personal or public, in dealing with friends or foes, Muslims and
non-Muslims, both in words and deeds, the Muslims are urged to be fair and just. Justice is an
integral part of the faith and upholding the principle of justice is not confined to the
courtroom environment or to a set of formal injunctions but commands a high priority in the
order of Islamic moral and spiritual values.
We can find about fifty quranic verses on justice (using one of the two synonyms, adl and
qist), and hundreds of verses on injustice (zulm). One of the most explicit and oft-quoted
verses are this one:
"O ye who believe! Stand out firmly for justice as witnesses to God, even as against
yourselves, or your parents, or your kin, and whether it be (against) rich or poor; for
God can best protect both. Follow not the lusts (of your hearts), lest ye swerve, and if ye
distort (justice) or decline to do justice, verily God is well acquainted with all that you
do (Q. 4:135)"

Kamali in his 2001 book, Freedom, Justice and Equality in Islam, defines justice as
placing something in its rightful place according equal treatment to others or reaching a
state of equilibrium in transactions with them (p. 103). Interestingly, he sees justice as a
universal value that is understood in roughly the same way across the major traditions of
the world.
Among the kinds of justice he discusses in his book are procedural justice (how fairly a court
system works); commutative justice (fair sentencing by judges); retributive justice (meting
out penalties for crimes committed); corrective justice (similar to former, but focused on the
rehabilitation of prisoners); political justice (discussed in my first blog); and distributive
justice (an even distribution of social, economic and political goods among a population).
That last category covers what we often refer to as social justice, the main theme of my
assignment..
While care for the poor, the orphans and the widows figures prominently in the Quran (and
most obviously in the institution of zakat. there is also much about personal righteousness
defined as not transgressing the bounds or limits (hudud). For instance, Whoever
transgresses the limits of God does verily wrong his own soul (Q. 65:1). Or this, These are
the limits ordained by God. So do not violate them. If any do violate the God-ordained limits,
verily they are the transgressors (Q. 2:229).

Research Paper Ethics of Care versus Ethics of Justice

4.2- Ethics of care In Islam
4.2.1Islamic psychology
Islamic neuroethics and neurotheology hold a sympathetic attitude
"Do not give your property which God assigned you to manage to the insane: but feed and
clothe the insane with this property and tell splendid words to him."[69
This Quranic verse summarized Islam's attitudes towards the mentally ill, who were
considered unfit to manage property but must be treated humanely and be kept under care by
a guardian, according to Islamic law. This positive neuroethical understanding of mental
health consequently led to the establishment of the first psychiatric hospitals in the medieval
Islamic world from the 8th century and an early scientific understanding of neuroscience and
psychology by medieval Muslim physicians and psychologists, who discovered that mental
disorders are caused by dysfunctions in the brain.

4.2.2-Bayt al-Amal:The concepts of welfare and pension were introduced in early Islamic law as forms of Zakat
(charity), one of the Five Pillars of Islam, since the time of the Abbasid caliph Al-Mansur in
the 8th century. The taxes (including Zakat and Jizya) collected in the treasury of an Islamic
government was used to provide income for the needy, including the poor, elderly, orphans,
widows, and the disabled. According to the Islamic jurist Al-Ghazali the government was also
expected to store up food supplies in every region in case a disaster or famine occurs. The
Caliphate was thus one of the earliest welfare states. From the 9th century, funds from the
treasury were also used towards the Waqf (charitable trusts), often for the purpose of building
of Madrassahs and Bimaristan hospitals

5- Research Methodology:
To get more realistic information we conducted a survey in which we asked people some
questions that were about justice and care we had survey of 40 peoples and take their
opinions about this topic. And the results that we get are as follows:

5.1-DATA ANALYSIS
76% of people said that they want justice instead of care. In this 76% there were 70% male
(from age 15 to 50) and 30% female (from age 20 to 59).
And 24% of people said that they give more importance to care more as compared to justice.
In this 70% are females and 30% males.
Now we will show you some questions that have different situations that show some conflict
between justice and care and we wanted to see that what people chose in different situations.
The questions are explained below:

Research Paper Ethics of Care versus Ethics of Justice

Questions:
1) If a car hits a bike and rider gets injured badly but rider was at wrong. What
will you refer at that time?
Justice
Care
Or Do Nothing.

If a car hits a bike and rider gets injured badly but rider was at wrong. What will you refer at that time?

Justice Care Dont kow

In this it shows that Justice is far more important in this scenarios nearly 62% of people are in
favor of justice while only 38% in of care and mostly in it are females.
2) If you are an invigilator and you catch your sibling (brother/cousin) doing
cheating what will you do?
a) Justice
b) Care
c) Or Do Nothing.

Research Paper Ethics of Care versus Ethics of Justice

If you are an invigilator and you catch your sibling (brother/cousin) doing cheating what will you do?

Justice Care Dont know

In this it shows that nearly 82% people are in favor of justice out of whom 42% are male
while 40% are females and 2 people dont know what they have to do and 12% are in favor of
care mostly are females.
3) If you are a manager in well known organization and a technician( A POOR
MAN) under you destroys the production machine and his job is on the line what
will you do and productivity is your firms top most priority what will you do?
a) Justice
b) Care
c) Or Do Nothing.

If you are a manager in well known organization and a technician( A POOR MAN) under you destroys the production machine and his job is on the line what wil you do and productivity is your firms top most priority what wil you do?

Justice Care Or do nothing

Research Paper Ethics of Care versus Ethics of Justice

In this 55% people are in favor of justice out of which nearly 48% are male and 7% are
females. And nearly 42% are in favor of care in which there is equal ratio between males and
females and 10% dont know what to do.
4) According to you what can be universally acceptable?
a)
b)
c)
d)

Justice
Care
Neutral
None of above

According to you what can be universally acceptable?

Justice

Care

Both

None

In this again most nearly 55% are in favor of justice and males and females are equal but
on the other hand 30% favor cares in which 20% are females and 10% are males and 15%
favors both that both can happens at the same time.
5) If you are a police officer and your son has committed a murder while driving
drunk so here what will you do at that time?
a) Care for your child
b) Or you will do justice
c) Self Escape

Research Paper Ethics of Care versus Ethics of Justice

If you are a police officer and your son has committed a murder while driving drunk so here what will you do at that time?

Justice Care Self Escape

In this 80% people are in favor of justice and there are 45% males and 35% females in it. And
reaming 20% are caring which mostly females are.

6) Can you do Both JUSTICE AND CARE at the same time?

a) Yes
b) No
c) Dont know

Can you do Both JUSTICE AND CARE at the same time?

Yes

No

Dont know

It is difficult to both at same time nearly 5% people are doing it at same time and majority is
favoring justice with 55% and caring is having 40%.

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Research Paper Ethics of Care versus Ethics of Justice

7) If another car has destroyed your car completely while you were at right and the
other car driver was at wrong and that car driver is your organizational boss
what will you do?
a) You care for your job?
b) You want Restorative justice?( Ask your Boss to apologize and give
compensation)

If another car has destroyed your car completely while you were at right and the other car driver was at wrong and that car driver is your organizational boss what wil you do?

Care Restrorative justice

In this 72% people are going for restorative justice and mostly are males with 40% and
females with 32%. And 28% people are caring for their jobs in which there is equal
percentage of males and females.
8) In todays world which ethical system is the best?
a) Ethics of Care
b) Ethics of Justice

So here we can say that people agree that ethics of justice is the best ethical system 76%
people voted for it and most are males so it also shows male looks for justice and in reaming
24% is caring in which mostly females voted.

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Research Paper Ethics of Care versus Ethics of Justice

In todays world which ethical system is the best?

Ethics Of Care

Ethics of justice

6- Arguments:
There is always a conflict in business ethics community when investigating that are decision
makes who make decisions are encouraged by ethics of care or ethics of justice. Caring and
justice demand both are in conflict with each other and there is no hard or fast rule to resolve
this problem. In this womans is much more favoring the ethics of care and men are favoring
ethics of justice so from this we can see that ethics of justice should be superior.

7- Conclusion
According to our survey we have concluded that males are more concerned about justice as
compared to care whereas females show care more importance then justice. But 76% people
favors justice and it is quite easy to identify that Ethics of justice is far more better then ethics
of care and is superior to it. Ethics of justice is a practical view to look at human lives. It is
difficult that both occur at the same time but for that there must be strong understanding with
these topics.

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Research Paper Ethics of Care versus Ethics of Justice

8- Bibliography

Cultural Differences Cultural Consequences, Hofstede, G.: 1980 (Intercultural Press,

Yarmouth, ME)., (Sage,Beverly Hills).
Gilligan .Carroll, In a Different Voice, As Siegfried (1989), American feminist, ethicist,
and psychologist
Gilligan, C.: 1982, In a Different Voice: Psychological Theory and Womens
Development (Harvard University Press, Cambridge MA).

Tronto, J. C.: 1993, Moral Boundaries (Routledge, New York).

Worthe, M. E.: 1989, Twenty-three Hundred Years of Women Philosophers: Toward a

GenderUndifferentiated Moral Theory, in Mary M. Brabeck (ed.), Who Cares?
(Praeger, New York), pp. 318.
http://caae.phil.cmu.edu/cavalier/80130/part2/II_7.html
Kamali.book, Freedom, 2001, Justice and Equality in Islam, (p. 103)
Book Serat-e- Mustafa by Jalal-ud-din Ahmed Amjadi.
Book Shan-e- Nabi by Iman Ahmed Raza Khan.
Quran versus (Q. 4:135) (Q. 65:1). (Q. 2:229).
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11114990
http://www.scu.edu/ethics/practicing/decision/justice.html
http://www.scu.edu/ethics/practicing/decision/justice.html
Research Questionnaire to get more realistic view.
BTG M160 ,Virtual University, Handout BTG M160.

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