The Study Of Slote’s Empathy And Care Theory

Michael Slote is the main representatives of moral sentimentalism in the field of western virtue ethics, and he proposes a new theory—empathy and care theory. The crisis of the modernity morality and the revival of contemporary virtue ethics and the rise of feminist care ethics are the background of this theory. The theory regards “empathy” as the starting point and foundation of virtue ethics’ interpretation. Slote regards natural emotion, empathy, as the basis of human nature and the foundation of morality. In his view, empathy is the general principle for people to make moral judgment in accordance with moral feeling. His empathy and care theory try to transcend the defect of normative ethics in theory. The theory has explanatory power and more in line with people’s moral intuition; it provides a more appropriate approach and reason for people’s moral judgment, moral action and moral education. But the subjectivity and uncertainty of moral can deconstruct the universality and certainty of moral rules.There are three parts in this thesis. The first part has analysis the academic background of the theory and the crisis of the modernity morality and the revival of contemporary virtue ethics. The second part describes the content and the application of the theory. The last part makes a conclusion that empathy and care theory provides a reference for civic morality construction in China.