The Ethics of Care and the Future Economy

Abstract

For decades, economic theories have been changing due to historical events and economic turbulences, yet each time they have had an actual impact on the lives of societies. Today, when neo-liberal theories are no longer appreciated, the divide between the richest and the poorest members of society is growing almost exponentially, and technological development drastically changes working conditions, new visions of a future economy are needed – ones in which everyone can find their place and live a life worth living. My suggestion is that this economy should be based on the ethics of care – a line of argument presented in this article. It opens with an outline of the ongoing economic changes. There then follows an explanation of the importance of ethics of care, as well as of the care necessary for the development and reproduction of societies, as the main framework for further consideration of job guarantee and unconditional basic income, to which the subsequent sections of the article are devoted. The analysis of these theories from a feminist perspective will also be enriched with proposals for additional solutions that go beyond the current paradigm of growth.