IX—Nurture and Parenting in Aristotelian Ethics

For Aristotle, in making the deliberate choice to incorporate the extensive requirements of the young into the aims of one’s life, people realize their own good. In this paper I will argue that this is a promising way to think about the ethics of care and parenting. Modern theories, which focus on duty and obligation, direct our attention to conflicts of interests in our caring activities. Aristotle’s explanation, in contrast, explains how nurturing others not only develops a core part of the self but also leads to an appreciation of the value of interpersonal relationships.