New Women: What Can Care Ethics Do For A Confucian Society?

This paper is a comparative study between feminist care ethics and Confucian ethics. It seeks to examine how these two moral philosophies are similar, and how a potential hybridisation of the two can serve as a solution to the ongoing debate surrounding the possibility of ‘Confucian feminism’ serving as the solution to gender inequality. I identify both of these philosophies as being inherently philosophies of action, rather than theory, and have therefore intentionally rooted the discussion in context the real-world social struggles of women in East Asia. I argue that Confucian ethics, with its focus on hierarchy and the upholding of tradition, remains infused within the social fabric of these countries (particularly South Korea), contributing to the patriarchal and restrictive attitudes that still shape the lives of women in the modern day. I classify this as a clear-cut form of injustice, which feminist care ethics was developed to combat. I argue that by approaching these real...Show moreThis paper is a comparative study between feminist care ethics and Confucian ethics. It seeks to examine how these two moral philosophies are similar, and how a potential hybridisation of the two can serve as a solution to the ongoing debate surrounding the possibility of ‘Confucian feminism’ serving as the solution to gender inequality. I identify both of these philosophies as being inherently philosophies of action, rather than theory, and have therefore intentionally rooted the discussion in context the real-world social struggles of women in East Asia. I argue that Confucian ethics, with its focus on hierarchy and the upholding of tradition, remains infused within the social fabric of these countries (particularly South Korea), contributing to the patriarchal and restrictive attitudes that still shape the lives of women in the modern day. I classify this as a clear-cut form of injustice, which feminist care ethics was developed to combat. I argue that by approaching these real-world social issues through the lens of care ethics, an alternative ethical system can be constructed that accommodates women while retaining elements of Confucian ideology.Show less

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New Women: What Can Care Ethics Do For A Confucian Society?