political

Academic Exchange

Problem or “mystery” in Care and Social Work?

Leave a comment

Social professionals’ view of the good life and vulnerability determines what is seen as a problem and how it is tackled. The French philosopher Gabriel Marcel proposes the notion of “mystery” as an alternative to thinking in terms of problems.
Our editors Silke Jacobi and Ivonne Hoen attended a symposium (1) questioning the problem- and solution-oriented approach in social work getting in the way of the social worker’s “knowing”. They regard this a topical issue, in the symposium related to the phenomenological “mystery” notion of Gabriel Marcel (1889-1973).

Continue reading Problem or “mystery” in Care and Social Work? →

Academic Exchange > Publications

Surviving as a Form of Life

Leave a comment

The Ethics of Care as a Critique of the Ideal of the Successful Life: do individuals universally prioritize self-development? In this short book, Frans Vosman challenges this notion, highlighting a cultural group focused on survival. Vosman advocates using ‘form of life’ and ‘cultural class’ to research political ethics, challenging hegemonic ideals. Continue reading Surviving as a Form of Life →

Academic Exchange > Publications

From cancer one may sometimes die. Yet no one speaks about that anymore

Leave a comment

Medical-technical innovations are great, but they often suppress a conversation about pain and suffering says Tessa Roberts-Smorenburg, care ethicist at the Antoni van Leeuwenhoek Hospital Amsterdam (NL) Continue reading From cancer one may sometimes die. Yet no one speaks about that anymore →

Network > Spotlight

Repost – We should be looking for fellow travelers

Leave a comment

Present times, worrisome as they are, require the critical ethics of care to be put in the spotlight. Next to current articles, the editors plan to every now and then repost earlier articles to clarify this specific way of care-ethical thinking. We start with a post written in 2017 by care ethicist Frans Vosman († 2020). Vosman, founder of this website, introduced himself in this article by presenting his thoughts about care ethics and by pointing out where further thinking is required.

Continue reading Repost – We should be looking for fellow travelers →

Movies > Reviews

All the beauty and the bloodshed

Leave a comment

All the beauty and the bloodshed (2022) is a biographical film (biopic) about the photographer and activist Nan Goldin (US). In this film, the politically engaged director Laura Poitras shows the multilayered, traumatic, activistic and famous life of Goldin, now 69. The adage ‘The personal is the political’ characterizes both Poitras and Goldin, neither of whom ever hesitates to show the raw reality of existence as it is. Continue reading All the beauty and the bloodshed →