Abstract
The traditional point of departure in normative ethics has been the dilemma between utilitarianism and some deontological principle of moral obligation. The American nurse Nel Noddings' phenomenological approach to ethical considerations might be seen as an attempt to escape this traditional dilemma.
Nel Noddings is also compared with the Danish phenomenological philosopher K. E. Løgstrup's view on foundational problems in ethics. The normative ethics of Nel Noddings is best understood in the light of her interpretation of Man's lifeworld: Caring is an unpredictable and an infinitely varied process, because our daily activities are intertwined in an inextratable way. Therefore, the caring-relation between human beings is a foundamental human encounter that is not guided by principles or rules, be they of utilitarian or deontological provenance.
Noddings distinguishes between natural and ethical caring. She stresses, like Løgstrup, the importance of ethical obligations: the other is always present in all our daily activities. Ethical obligations must motivate not only our overt behaviour, but also our inner life in all its aspects.
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