Confucian Ethics vs. Care Ethics

Study Notes

Qingjuan Sun firmly challenges the perspective that views Confucian and Mencius ethics solely through the lens of care ethics, highlighting the complexity and uniqueness of their philosophical foundations.
She also firmly rejects the notion of categorizing Confucian ethics and care ethics under the umbrella of virtue ethics, considering that such an approach oversimplifies their richly developed philosophical arguments and principles.
Sun acknowledges Confucian ethics embraces care and justice.
She argues that different ethics may share a single value but have different ways of constituting it.
Sun emphasizes that care ethics is about the "other," not the "carer," and that prioritizing care can lead to absurd actions.
Sun argues that Confucian ethics places emphasis on "li" (ritual propriety) instead of "ren" (benevolence) as the uppermost virtue.
She stresses that "yi" (righteousness) restricts "ren," preventing it from being the sole focus.
Disdain, a key element of "yi," consists of feelings of shame towards oneself and dislike towards others when acting immorally.
According to Sun, different relationships necessitate emphasizing specific virtues.
In Confucian ethics, "ren" and "yi" are crucial for father-son and ruler-minister relationships respectively.
Sun rejects the notion that Confucian ethics can be reduced to care ethics.

Confucian Ethics:
- Emphasizes "li" (ritual propriety) as the primary virtue.
- Integrates four virtues: "ren" (benevolence), "li," "yi" (righteousness), and "zhi" (wisdom)
- Prioritizes objective moral principles over subjective emotions.
- Requires considering multiple perspectives, recognizing diverse roles and expectations.
Care Ethics:
- Focuses on the "other" and prioritizing their well-being.
- Embraces subjective emotions like empathy and compassion.
- Can lead to actions driven by strong feelings, potentially neglecting objectivity.
- Prioritizes individual responsibility and moral decision-making in specific contexts.

Qingjuan Sun argues that Confucian ethics and care ethics are distinct ethical systems with different emphases.
While care ethics focuses on prioritizing the well-being of others, Confucian ethics emphasizes the importance of fulfilling one's role in society through adherence to societal norms and principles.
The two ethical frameworks cannot be merged into a single value system, but rather exist in tension with each other.

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