Care vs. Rule Based Ethics Week 1

I chose choice two of this exercise which is dealing with the drug addicted parents who put their child up for adoption. This is a delicate situation that seems to be becoming more and more prevalent. I have chosen to look at this problem using Care-based ethics, as well as Rule-based ethics. These two types of ethics are on either end of the ethical spectrum and I believe will show the greatest contrast when examined. The solution shown in choice two of the exercise is supported by Rule-based ethics. When following the guidelines of Rule-based ethics, the greater good must always be considered first and foremost, not in a case by case manner. Whether or not the child had a strong relationship with her foster family becomes a non issue as we look at the statistics. Statistically, one would see that most often a child does better out of foster care with his or her birth parents than in it. In order to keep the greater good in focus, it must be ruled that the child be returned to her birth parents now that they are filing to regain custody. With a Care-based way of thinking, this would appear to be an exception to the rule, where the child is actually in a more loving and caring family situation than he or she was previously. Unfortunately with Rules-based ethics we must overlook this exception and resolve this problem in the way that will help the most people. This may seem cruel, or at the least insensitive, but when you quantify humanity and make decisions based on numbers, that is unfortunately what you have to live with as a result. Next we look at the more humane case by case way of looking at this dilemma, Care-based ethics. The easiest way to think about this problem is how would you like to be treated if you where in the situation. The way I would like to be treated, and I assume the majority of people would agree, is by being put with the family that cares most and will give me the best life. In the case of this exercise the best choice