In recent years, a reinterpretation of “dependency” and attention to “care” has taken place in the context of support for people with disabilities. The core claim in this stream is that, to a certain extent and in certain periods of time, dependency is fundamental to the human condition. With this in mind, there is a growing discussion on the ethic of care.
However, this paper questions current discussions on the ethic of care. It argues that relying on the ethic of care might segregate “the other” to respond, and create exclusions such as of “the risky other”. The ethic of care is not always reliable in case of caring for people who infringe the law or harm others.
First, this paper investigates contemporary discussions on the ethic of care mainly following Joan Tronto and points out the politically problematical structure of the ethic of care. It identifies two mechanisms whereby the ethic of care potentially results in exclusions: “etho-politics” and “security”. Next, an alternative understanding of care is asserted to the ethic of care: “care as the making of asyl”.
Asyl’s functions of peace and recovery for those who have committed a fault are shown and compared with punishment’s function of order and correction. Finally, the paper tries to expand the potentiality of care. It suggests that an expanded understanding of care might create an openness to meet “otherness”.