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by Martin Robb
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- 2 weeks ago1h 4m
Care ethics, education, and democracy - with Adriana Jesenková
What insights can care ethics contribute that will help in improving the education system? How can education prepare students to be caring citizens and support the development of a 'caring democracy'? And what role should sex and relationships education play in that process?These are some of the questions we explore in this episode, with Adriana Jesenková. Adriana studied history and philosophy at Comenius University in Bratislava, Slovakia, and she is now an Associate Professor of Philosophy in the Faculty of Arts at Pavol Jozef Šafárik University in Košice, in eastern Slovakia, where her research has explored issues of care, power, and justice in the education system and in medical practice, from the perspective of feminist care ethics.In 2016 Adriana published a monograph in Slovak on The Ethics of Care (Etika Starostlivosti) and since then has published numerous journal articles, in both Slovak and English, applying a care ethical perspective to subjects as diverse as the educational system in Slovakia, sex education, and the challenges posed by a fragmented and polarised society.I was first introduced to Adriana’s work when we both contributed to the edited collection on Care Ethics, Religion, and Spiritual Traditions, which was published by Peeters in 2022. I was also interested to see that Adriana had contributed a chapter to the 2020 volume on Care Ethics, Democratic Citizenship and the State, which was co-edited by Petr Urban, who was my guest in Episode 4 of the podcast.We discuss the following topics in this episode:Adriana's personal and professional journey to studying and teaching philosophy Adriana's introduction to feminist care ethics and its importance for her work The influence of Joan Tronto on Adriana's thinking Applying care ethics to education The recent history of Slovakia, with particular reference to education The deficit of democratic care in the Slovak education system Education for care Adriana's research and writing on sex and relationships education Sex education, the family, and the state Caring for intergenerational relations in a time of fragmentation: the role of philosophy and literature Adriana's current work empowering civil society in eastern Slovakia and her plans for writing a new book on care ethics for a Slovak audience Links to some of Adriana's articles in English'Research and educational potential of feminist care ethics in sex education' (2018)'Deficit of democratic care in the educational system in Slovakia' (2020)'Gender equality as a matter of care for the "caring university"' (2021)'How to care better for intergenerational relations in the time of fragmentation' (2025)Other publications referred to in the episodeJoan Tronto, Moral Boundaries: A Political Argument for an Ethic of CareJoan Tronto, Caring Democracy: Markets, Equality, and JusticeEtela Farkašová, <a href="https://www.litcentrum.sk/dielo/zachrana-
- Apr 2, 20261h 10m
Fatherhood, faith, and phenomenology - with Zechariah Mickel
What insights can phenomenological philosophy offer into the experience of fatherhood? How does a father experience the mystery of his child's soul, and how should he respond to his child's vulnerability and suffering? And how useful is the language of sacrifice in describing the burden of paternal responsibility?These are some of the questions we explore in this episode, with Zechariah Mickel. Zechariah is an independent scholar working at the intersection of continental philosophy and theology. He holds an MA in philosophy from the Global Center for Advanced Studies and has worked in schools as a therapeutic skills trainer and as a marketing manager and associate editor at Wipf and Stock Publishers, where he continues to host The Theology Mill Podcast. Based in Oregon in the United States, Zechariah is a husband and a father to two young children, and he is also employed as an apprentice plumber.Zechariah has published articles in Commonweal magazine and in the Global Center for Advanced Studies Review. He’s the author of the book The Unthinkable Sacrifice: An Essay on Fatherhood, published by Cascade in 2025, which provides an account of the experience of early fatherhood using the tools of phenomenological philosophy. He is also the co-editor of the forthcoming book The Eucharist and Continental Philosophy, to be published by Fordham University Press.We discuss the following topics in this episode:Zechariah's background and early influences Zechariah's journey from evangelicalism to Catholicism The experience of becoming and being a father Working as a plumber alongside writing and publishing Zechariah's work for Wipf and Stock and as host of The Theology Mill Podcast Highlights of Zechariah's experience as a podcast host The 'theological turn' in French phenomenology and the influence of Steven DeLay on Zechariah's writing The thinking behind The Unthinkable Sacrifice Is the book philosophy or theology? The philosophers who have influenced Zechariah's thinking The father's experience of his child's soul and the insights of Levinas and Marion The vulnerability of the child and Romano's notion of 'the event' Fatherhood in the context of late modernity The burden of paternal responsibility Fatherhood and sacrifice Responding to criticisms of the book Zechariah's forthcoming edited volume on the Eucharist and his plans for further research and writing Some of the writers and thinkers mentioned in the episodeThomas MertonSteven DeLayEmmanuel FalqueStanley HauerwasWilliam T. CavanaughSergei BulgakovEmmanuel LevinasJean-Luc MarionClaude RomanoJean-Yves LacosteJean-Louis Chrétien <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gabriel_Marcel" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"
- Mar 2, 20261h 5m
Death, dying, and the ethics of care - with Iris Parra Jounou
What can care ethics contribute to a better understanding of death, dying, and end-of-life care? What would a relational approach to assisted dying look like? And how should care be incorporated into public policy by local and national governments?These are some of the questions we explore in this episode, in conversation with Iris Parra Jounou. Iris is a researcher in care ethics and political philosophy, specialising in end-of-life care. She is an assistant professor in philosophy at the Autonomous University of Barcelona, in Catalonia, Spain, where she was awarded a PhD in 2025 for her thesis entitled ‘Dying in the Relaissance: End-of-Life Practices in a Caring Democracy’. Iris previously studied for bachelor’s degrees in both nursing and humanities, and for a Masters degree in contemporary thought and classical tradition. She is also a published poet and a musician.Iris has published a number of journal articles and book chapters on end-of-life care and assisted dying, and she also has the distinction of having translated key works by the leading American care ethicist Joan Tronto into Catalan. She a contributed a chapter on ‘a care ethics and aesthetics approach to stillbirth and late termination of pregnancy for foetal anomalies’ in the recently-published edited collection Care Aesthetics and the Arts. Iris has edited a new volume on Care Ethics and Public Health, which has been published, in the Peeters Ethics of Care series, since we recorded the episode.We discuss the following topics in this episode:Iris' personal and professional journey to studying the philosophy of care Witnessing death and developing an interest in end-of-life care Iris' introduction to feminist care ethics How Iris came to interview Joan Tronto and translate her books into Catalan A brief cultural history of death and dying Towards 'an expressive-collaborative model of mortality' using care ethics 'Dying in the relaissance' A relational approach to assisted dying The ethical conflicts of implementing medical assistance in dying Towards a patient-centred definition of unbearable suffering Iris' forthcoming co-edited book on care ethics and public health Towards a public ethics of care Reflecting on stillbirth, care ethics and care aesthetics through the medium of a literary memoir Iris' involvement in poetry and music Iris' plans for further research and writing on care Some of the writers and thinkers mentioned in the episodeNell NoddingsVirginia HeldCarol GilliganHelen KohlenFrans VosmanOlena HankivskyJudith ButlerMargaret Urban WalkerErica Borgstrom (see Episode 9)Ruth Levitas<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miguel_Abensour" rel="noopener
- Dec 8, 20251h 10m
A Catholic feminist perspective on care - with Erika Bachiochi
What can the ideas of an eighteenth-century feminist thinker contribute to contemporary debates around gender and care? How should law and social policy support caregivers and create a better balance between care, work and family life? Is Catholic feminism a contradiction in terms - and if not, what's distinctive about the perspective that it offers on care?These are some of the questions we discuss in this episode, with Erika Bachiochi. Erika is an American legal scholar who works at the intersection of constitutional law, political theory, women’s history, and Catholic social teaching. She is a Fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center - and Professor of Practice and Director of the Mercy Otis Warren Initiative at the School of Economic Thought and Leadership at Arizona State University, where she also serves as Editor-in-Chief of the online journal, Fairer Disputations. A 2018 visiting scholar at Harvard Law School, Erika is a Senior Fellow at the Abigail Adams Institute in Cambridge, Massachusetts, where she founded the Wollstonecraft Project.Erika received a B.A. from Middlebury College in 1996, an M.A. in theology as a Bradley Fellow from the Institute for the Study of Politics and Religion at Boston College in 1999, and a J.D. from Boston University School of Law in 2002. The mother of seven children, Erika was a co-founder of St. Benedict’s, a Catholic classical school in Massachusetts where she served as President of the Board from 2013-2015. She has published numerous articles in legal and political journals and in publications such as The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and The Atlantic. Erika's book, The Rights of Women: Reclaiming a Lost Vision, which offers a revisionist history of the early women’s rights movement, including a radical reassessment of the work of Mary Wollstonecraft, was published in 2021.We discuss the following topics in this episode:Erika's journey to becoming a legal scholar Erika's philosophical, political and spiritual journey The rationale for Erika's book The Rights of Women and its focus on Mary Wollstonecraft The balance between rights and duties and the emphasis on virtues in Wollstonecraft's thinking The lost legacy of first-wave feminism Mary Ann Glendon's work on care, families, and social policy Erika's critique of feminist care ethics, and her understanding of the distinctive role of fathers in care The role of the state in supporting caregiving within families A distinctive Catholic feminist position on care Erika's plans for a sequel to The Rights of Women Some of the writers, thinkers and activists mentioned in the episode:AristotleCiceroJohn LockeMary WollstonecraftWilliam GodwinJoseph PriestleyRichard PriceAbigail AdamsLucrecia MottJane AddamsSusa
- Nov 9, 20251h 9m
Protest, performance, and care - with Alisha Ibkar
What can a protest movement organised by Muslim grandmothers in India teach us about the role of care in political action? In what sense should we understand care as performance and everyday caring activities as artful practices? And how might interpersonal care nurture a wider caring imagination and foster a politics of care?These are some of the questions we discuss in this episode, with Alisha Ibkar. Originally from Kaliachak in West Bengal, India, Alisha has a Bachelor’s degree in English Literature from Aligarh Muslim University in Uttar Pradesh, and a Master of Arts degree, also in English Literature, from Jawaharlal Nehru University in New Delhi. She was a Commonwealth Scholar at the University of Warwick, where she completed a Master’s degree in applied theatre, with her dissertation focusing on the study of ethics and the aesthetics of care in the context of political activism. Alisha is currently a School of Arts, Languages and Cultures doctoral fellow in Theatre and Performance at the Martin Harris Centre for Music and Drama in the University of Manchester. Since 2016 she has also held the post of Assistant Professor of English Literature and Language at Aligarh Muslim University. In Manchester, Alisha is associated with The Care Lab, which is partnered with the AHRC-funded Care Aesthetics Research Exploration (CARE) Project, led by Professor James Thompson, who was my guest in Episode 11 of the podcast.Alisha’s academic research places the burgeoning critical theorisations around the ethics and aesthetics of care in dialogue with socio-political protest movements, a context within which the relevance of caretaking is yet to be studied. Her research engages with women-led social movements in India to examine the extent to which care played a principal role, with her understanding of care emerging from Muslim women’s cultural and domestic practices of care. Through her work, Alisha seeks a decolonial reorientation, not only within care theory and scholarship, but also within political performance.Alisha has published articles about her research in The Sociological Review and in Theatre Journal, and she has contributed a chapter entitled ‘On the art of Khidmat; political afterlives of Muslim women's everyday practices of care’ to a forthcoming collection on Care Aesthetics and the Arts, edited by Kate Maguire-Rosier, Réka Polonyi andJames Thompson.,We discuss the following topics in this episode:Alisha's early life in West Bengal and how it shaped her thinking about care and community The importance of education in Alisha's upbringing and her choice of English Literature as a focus for her studies The roots of Alisha's interest in theatre and performance Alisha's critical engagement with feminist writers on care The protest against the Citizenship Amendment Act in India The Shaheen Bagh protest and Alisha's relationship to it The ethos of care underlying the protest The practical care structures at Shaheen Bagh Care as performance The role of repetition and perpetuation in the performance of care Everyday caring activities as artful practices Storytelling as an ethical and aesthetic practice Interpersonal care nurturing a wider caring imagination The implications of Shaheen Bagh for thinking about protest as a form of care Shaheen Bagh as 'a template for a caring state' Alisha's involvement in The Care Lab and the CARE project in Manchester Some of the writers, thinkers and practitioners mentioned in the episodeLila Abu-LughodSaba Mahmood
- Sep 8, 20251h 2m
The ethics of dementia care - with Vince Mitchell
What ethical challenges are presented by caring for people with dementia? How should we understand - and respect - the personhood of those experiencing cognitive decline? And what can virtue ethics and care ethics contribute to the development of an alternative ethical model for dementia care?These are some of the questions we explore in this episode, in conversation with Vince Mitchell. Vince is a Lecturer in Health and Social Care, specialising in mental health, at The Open University (UK). He is a qualified mental health nurse with experience of nursing people in a wide variety of clinical settings. Having graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Health Care Practice and a Master of Arts in Applied Ethics from the University of York, Vince undertook doctoral research at the University of Surrey, where he was awarded a PhD in 2016 for his thesis examining ethical frameworks for dementia care. Since then, he has published a number of articles and book chapters on the ethics of mental health nursing and on ethical practice in dementia care.We discuss the following topics in this episode:Vince's journey into nursing Working as a mental health nurse Bridging the worlds of philosophy and care practice The challenges that dementia presents for care providers The inadequacy of existing ethical models Some of the key ethical issues in dementia care Personhood and autonomy The personal identity challenge to advance directives Thomas Kitwood's model of person-centred care Julian Hughes' Situated Embodied Agent approach Personal dignity and human flourishing Introducing virtue ethics Vulnerability, interdependence and trust Care ethics, justice and the socio-political context of dementia care An alternative ethical model for dementia care Implementing the model in practice Vince's plans for future work in care ethics A selection of Vince's publications'Ethics and mental health nursing' (2017)'Ethical practice in dementia care' (2019)Some of the writers and thinkers mentioned in the episodeRebecca DresserRonald DworkinDerek ParfitThomas KitwoodJulian HughesMaurice Merleau-PontyMartin BuberMartha NussbaumEmmanel LevinasAristotleImmanuel KantElizabeth AnscombePhilippa FootAlasdair MacIntyreRosalind HursthouseEva KittayJames Thompson<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Onora_O
- Jun 10, 202558 min
Communities of care - with Lorraine Krall McCrary
How can we ensure that people with intellectual disabilities participate fully in political life? What lessons can we learn from communities of care in which disabled and non-disabled people live together? And what should be the relationship between local communities of care and wider social and political structures?These are some of the questions we explore in this episode, with Lorraine Krall McCrary. Lorraine is an Associate Professor of Political Science at Wabash College, a liberal arts school in Indiana, and a research associate at St Edmund's College, Cambridge. She has a doctorate in political theory from Georgetown University and previously taught at Washington University in St. Louis and at Villanova University. Lorraine's search brings together disability studies and feminist care ethics, and she also writes about topics in politics and literature, as well as the relationship between the family and politics. Lorraine is currently in the final stages of writing a book based on her most recent research, with the working title Care Communities: Politics in a Different Voice.We discuss the following topics in this episode:Lorraine's work as a political theorist and the roots of her interest in disability issues Hannah Arendt's theory of 'natality' Natality and the politics of birth at Auschwitz Bearing witness in dark times Lorraine's use of literary sources in her work on disability Jane Addams and the politics of human interconnectedness Lorraine's research with communities of care at L'Arche, Camphill, and Geel Towards a relational understanding of reason The idea of community in the political thought of Alexis de Tocqueville Jean Vanier and revelations of abuse at L'Arche Abuse as 'relational tyranny' The notion of subsidiarity in feminist care ethics and Catholic Social Teaching The role of the state in relation to communities of care Relational caring at a community level as cultivating a wider sense of social solidarity Future directions for Lorraine's research A selection of Lorraine's publications'Geel's Family Care Tradition: Care, Communities, and the Social Inclusion of Persons with Disability' (2017)'Re-Envisioning Independence and Community: Critiques from the Independent Living Movement and L'Arche' (2017)'Natality and Disability: From Augustine to Arendt and Back' (2018)'From Hull-House to Herland: Engaged and Extended Care in Jane Addams and Charlotte Perkins Gilman' (2018)'The Politics of Community: Care and Agency in People with Intellectual Disabilities at L'Arche' (2020)'"A Crooked Cross": Disability and Community in Flannery O'Connor' (2021)'Bearing Witness to Natality: The Politics of Birth at Auschwitz' (2022)'Disability and Subsidiarity: Toward Social and Political Inclusion' (with Parker Gamble, 2024)Other publications discussed in the episodeJoan Tronto, Caring Democracy: Markets, Equality, and JusticeMaurice Hamington, Embodied Care: Jane Addams, Maurice Merleau-Ponty, and Feminist Care Ethics
- May 19, 202552 min
Revelations of divine care - with Melody Escobar
What can we learn about care from the experiences of mothers of children with disabilities? How can the writings of a medieval Christian mystic deepen our understanding of maternal love and care? Can the religious emphasis on kenosis, or self-giving love, be reconciled with a feminist perspective on care? And to what extent does the practice of intimate caregiving lead to a wider concern with equity and social justice?These are some of the questions we explore in this episode, with Melody Escobar. Melody is a postdoctoral research associate at Baylor University, a private Christian University in Waco, Texas, where she is a research scholar for the Baylor Collaborative on Faith and Disability, in the Center for Developmental Disabilities, and where she lectures on religion and disability, eco-justice, and mysticism. Before completing her doctorate in Christian spirituality at Oblate School of Theology in San Antonio, Melody had a career in corporate communications spanning 18 years. She has served as a Catholic lay minister for more than 10 years in various capacities and she has also worked as a chaplain resident. Melody’s research and publications in Christian spirituality and practical theology focus on families who experience disability, innovative models of ministry, and curricula advancing inclusion and belonging in academic and spiritual life.Melody is the author of the book Revelations of Divine Care: Disability, Spirituality, and Mutual Flourishing, which was published in 2024 by Baylor University Press, as part of their Studies in Religion, Theology, and Disability series.We discuss the following topics in this episode: Melody's personal, spiritual and academic journey Melody's experience as the mother of a child with a disability Equine-assisted therapy for children with disabilities The influence of the writings of Julian of Norwich on Melody's thinking The horse ring as a sacred space of community and belonging The importance of hospitality Melody's research with mothers of children with disabilities The importance of giving voice to mothers' experiences The key themes emerging from Melody's research Faith, spirituality, and care The contested role of kenotic, or self-giving love, in care The need for structural and policy reform to support mothers' caregiving The vision of maternal love in Julian of Norwich's writings Widening the circle of loving care The lessons of Melody's research for churches and faith communities Developments in disability theology Melody's forthcoming book 'Belonging Under The Bridge' Some of the writers and thinkers mentioned in the episodeJulian of NorwichPhilip SheldrakeDorothy DayHenri NouwenMax van ManenDevan StahlLinksEquine-assisted therapyCatholic Worker MovementChurch Under the BridgeFor a transcript of this episode, follow <a href="
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About Careful Thinking
At some point in our lives, we will all have the experience of caring for another person - or of being cared for ourselves. But what exactly is ‘care’, and what do we mean by ‘good’ care? How do our beliefs, identities, and the social, cultural and political contexts in which we live, shape our experience of caring or being cared for? And how can ideas, theories, and the findings from research, help us to think more care-fully – and to care more thoughtfully?Careful Thinking explores these and similar questions, inspired by a belief that thinking critically about care can both deepen our understanding and improve the everyday practice of care. In each episode of the podcast, you'll hear an in-depth conversation with a researcher, writer or practitioner at the cutting edge of current thinking about care. If you would like to give us your feedback, or suggest a guest or a topic for a future episode, you can get in touch at carefulthinkingpodcast@gmail.com. And you can leave comments
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