Care Ethics, Recognition, and Educational Encounters: From Reader to Ricoeur

Pip Bennett

5.30-7.15pm     

Both the ethics of care and many educational endeavours seek to meet certain needs in those being cared for and educated. Through the work of Soran Reader and Paul Ricoeur, this paper explores a set of needs generated by the identity of the person in question. Identity as ‘whatness’ and identity as ‘whoness’ are distinguished with the latter being of more normative significance than the latter, whether in care ethics or in educational contexts. The account theorised is illustrated through an example taken from Roald Dahl’s Matilda.

Pip Bennett is a third year PhD Candidate at UCL IoE’s Department of Education, Practice and Society. His research interests include feminist moral philosophy and philosophy of education. Prior to his current period of study he taught predominantly mathematics in primary and secondary schools for more than decade. Latterly he has started teaching undergraduate and postgraduate philosophy of education and looks forward to a more permanent move to higher education.