Care as a Dialectical Activity
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 3874319 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Josep E Corbí (0000-0002-5130-3357, Universitat de València, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2023 |
| Volume | 23 |
| Issue | 3 |
| Pages | 141-169 |
| Publication date | 2023-11-01 |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | CR The New Centennial Review (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1532-687X • E-ISSN: 1539-6630 |
| Publisher | Michigan State University Press (PUBLISHER • US) |
| DOI | 10.14321/crnewcentrevi.23.3.0141 |
| OpenAlex | W4408187828 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 17 |
Gray clouds covered the sky of a city generally bathed in sunshine. It was a cold, windy day. I saw the old lady first. She was in a wheelchair, wrapped in a black blanket, her head topped with a cap. Her eyes looked a bit lost and her face, inexpressive. I wondered whether this was the best day to take her out for a walk. It might have been better, I thought, if they had stayed home and waited for better weather. In a couple of days it would be sunny again and then they could enjoy a walk in the sunshine, so gentle in this season. While looking at the old lady, I noticed that her escort, a man who looked self-confident and still young, leaned over her and whispered softly in her ear: “Are you all right? Are you cold?” I was a few yards away from them and yet his words reached me neatly. I was convinced that the escort was her son and that he was treating his mother with care. I felt for a moment that I was that son and that she was my mother. I longed for the days when I would go for a walk with my mother—equally lost in the mists of Alzheimer's—pushing her wheelchair. She is gone now, though she still accompanies me. As I rode away on my bicycle, a woman pushing a pram with a baby passed me by. This time I didn't feel, but just entertained the idea that everything was intertwined. This article is an exploration of the nature of care, based on an analysis of this scene, the walk scene, in connection with a few other scenes in which care is crucially present as well.The structure of this article is as follows. In the first section, I examine the walk scene in relation to a couple of other scenes, namely, the bathroom and the conversation scenes. I argue, first, that an instrumental model of action, namely, an account of action in terms of what are the most appropriate means to achieve a certain end, can hardly apprehend the nature of care in both the walk and the bathroom scenes. I then introduce the conversation scene, a scene where two friends hold an intimate conversation, in order to sketch my idea of what counts as a dialectical activity, that is, as an activity that is inspired by a telos that imposes some demands upon the subjects engaged in that activity. The identification of this telos will require a kind of deliberation that, far from being to what is of it in some I then some to the that the walk and the bathroom scenes are to be as dialectical in that care be This with an of in which dialectical from instrumental In the section, I that the walk scene and the bathroom scene a of care from which other scenes this I two scenes that in the namely, the scene and the care home is that scenes a kind of care as they can the demands of care as a dialectical activity in a It that the walk and the bathroom scenes are the best but that a from scenes with a certain kind of namely, a In the section, I in some this idea of I argue, first, that the instrumental model account for the kind of that is of care, the idea of dialectical activity is to of it that the instrumental model means to to to the that the idea of is to the of deliberation is, to of I my for the that care is better as a dialectical activity, and that some scenes of care are I that the of care as a dialectical activity a of care is of in the by the conversation scene the walk and the bathroom scenes as the of walk scene is a in the of the son was a his mother looked was at the of her she felt her was and she a in her to in the She to his care and he her in is The as she was as had been they to be but the of The mother noticed that she was She She to her when she was in you to and she would a of whether but with my She of her in the In that scene, the bathroom scene, the son was and her as she had with when he was a felt in the of that had and she as they had so in care by what was to idea of over the bathroom scene, that the son was his mother to her most It would then be a of an action that is an appropriate means an this the mother and son in the bathroom scene in the of care. It as a but at all as of and care. as some of them to of the and of care. This of a certain of action, namely, that an action if and if it is an appropriate means to achieve an to this as the instrumental the best means of a at the of this the what to to in the this can of the care in the bathroom as he a certain The of his action would then be to the of a with a certain that his mother be the of this is for to would as the son have a with a crucially that his mother be for but to be the of this care. the mother just to be but to be for by her son to be looked by in an intimate in the of the of that the of her in both mother and both the son and the mother to this be from the instrumental model to an model of the walk scene, are but the idea of a walk a with a of to what the idea of an a this that the walk and the bathroom scenes be in terms of the instrumental model that an model is the I that scenes of care are better as dialectical of this kind of activity is an intimate conversation two the mother and her conversation of this kind could be a means to an that the mother have to in the that the other as intimate conversation could an to the activity on which and the mother might have as the of the would the which conversation could be I that the of conversation on to be inspired by a certain kind of end, namely, by an to the activity that is, by what I a then examine in what the telos of an intimate in of a dialectical from the idea of an that is to the instrumental telos that an intimate conversation be the of a certain kind of and it be by a in the conversation scene have an of but in this activity a to what the telos of an intimate conversation from in The of demands will be and will in some of and an be be of for they will with a kind of that to in an intimate of is to a that instrumental from dialectical While the in the can be of the means by which it can be the telos that a dialectical activity be of to what telos in some In other the telos of an intimate conversation be of to certain of the of a It that dialectical require a kind of deliberation that be with the best means to a end, but that to what the telos of the activity are engaged in from in some in other what telos in In the conversation scene, both friends be inspired in by the words and might deliberation could be that is, the best means to the of conversation, but is, they the kind of to a that is intimate dialectical are in time in a from instrumental instrumental action, that is, the of a of action to achieve a certain end, is in can out both and an action, is to it as an of that out in the an intimate conversation can hardly take who have just intimate conversation be of a of and an as it is are with this that is, are the present conversation a of and In that a conversation can be as intimate as it is as a an a that is, a of that is this of the present conversation a of with some the but with some of to other that might have in to other dialectical activity telos might be with that of an intimate have an intimate conversation with a being to other of with that with some other The telos of an intimate conversation, of dialectical activity, be in from other it would be a but just an for which certain means could be It is to the in which the to the telos of a dialectical activity in which he is engaged that it is what the of the of that that activity in this who to be with the care of in the are as to the and of to that the telos of for be from the care of other It is that have some in and care, but they that the care that other in the is to but of the care for In the the by the telos of the dialectical activity in which they to be have that who in a dialectical activity what telos is, but to and the telos that is of an activity. could that are engaged in a dialectical activity, telos imposes upon this that from the that in dialectical activity still be the of a It is to that a in this for can be engaged in a dialectical activity when an is as that is, as inspired by some of a can take certain She can for to to some to in some will her to engaged in a dialectical activity if the demands of being as that is, if she is to demands are to what in In other a with a to to some but it is as a of a she her in a certain activity as that can she is engaged in a dialectical that in dialectical is but is of as to in from of the of the mother in the bathroom scene that her son her in an intimate can be as a to and care. The of an be at the of her This can be intimate it is in a of the of is a of that the son to to this it is the mother who care of her but the son who at the of this and to it in order to it the care for his mother. the in order to the of care, but his so that it might the kind of care that is the the in other his in order to a to his that is, a that is to the demands of the telos of care in the of can of the idea that the intimate mother to be for can be by her The is that he the kind of with his mother that this of that is, that to the bathroom scene as an a of care, in with the conversation might in of the instrumental that the idea of dialectical activity out a of care, namely, that is are certain that they on that they on to In this the walk scene is the old lady is to go out on her and could be the bathroom It that if the instrumental of care, can hardly an of in The is whether care an instrumental whether care can be as a instrumental activity. it the instrumental of an action activity instrumental The is the to the dialectical activity which certain are in of the bathroom scene a it is the at but the of them in a that, far from the In other care as a dialectical activity the instrumental of this activity, but it a of to that the activity is to the instrumental and dialectical can be in instrumental action an that can be of the means that to achieve by a telos for which the can be as a of with this dialectical In the of instrumental action, deliberation is with the most appropriate means to the end, in the of dialectical deliberation to what demands the telos of the activity is engaged and instrumental are in have a and an dialectical activity is by time as action be as an a that is the to the idea of to the nature of the deliberation I in instrumental the of a dialectical activity can be a of to other dialectical as telos be as would to that the of all dialectical are to idea of what in to achieve a certain to of a instrumental a in the of dialectical The idea is a certain of engaged in a dialectical activity, a certain as this idea of is in the by which the engaged in an activity, the as as on can that are of then a that is to the of the activity is engaged in it and a that the to in this activity. is that both though in are of care as a dialectical activity. and on whether the is to the with a certain dialectical activity of it to that the walk and the bathroom scenes can be as dialectical could that the that take in scenes are inspired by a namely, that they are to the so that action this activity is to be in instrumental but an to what kind of action this telos in some and as a that action will as an a an of care The care for his mother be to other that as of the telos and in the of the son and the the will to what the telos demands from them in in the is to the walk scene and the bathroom scene as of care and to examine some other scenes of care in of I that other scenes in a kind of namely, a I that scenes be as of care, for that to be in some the best of a The son far The mother is in the her on a and he her other her that she is so he would have had to his and to his a and two It is to a for both of them in a mother to this the son some from the to care for his mother in her at home the mother a of She can on with her as by her and her The the and the to her are of the best in her Her from to and the of her and are her a dialectical what she is with what she The but day still with for which the is but is still The who her are from the are in and what they have to with to care of the of as an a a where and are intertwined. to this as the some dialectical in this scene, but they have been when with of the walk and bathroom scenes. The son is to that his for his he to what he be As a will be in the his mother is is, care in his in his a care that in the but is a that both the son and the mother the son to this to a two who are in the and a of a of they have been in the have been are for The son them to take care of his but he them to his mother in the intimate he could of is, still instrumental would be the of looking the have to to her The demands some of from that is, an to what the telos of from them in some In this the scene some with the walk and the bathroom scenes. is, that the scene is in the of the telos of care other scenes. This from in a but from The to for the mother an a to care for the they are engaged in the certain of a time when the mother is so that for her at home The to go an a care The son to a care home to the so that a certain with her might be he a in a care home with in a this care home are and are this scene, the care home scene, in so that might would as of this scene as the of some of to the scene, the care home scene is from the dialectical of the walk and the bathroom scenes. is for the to the of as care home be as a it be by This on and on the which the care and the be inspired by the telos of care. everything is in this from the scene to the care home some instrumental as a and to care, as as a the a the mother could the of her will in the is to what can for the from the telos of that is of take it at a time and in some of the care home scene that it from the walk and the bathroom scenes in a that the can the telos of care in a care a certain for for the and the and this to the idea of This when it in the care home scene with some as as with some The other being to some of and in this the of time in is to that of the instrumental model at with the kind of that the for a telos it in where can the of a in a care this is and in a that the in which dialectical are by is to the of and in the care home scene are to the for to and the certain that they the and but they in that is, of care with the from the though are to the of the by can hardly be In care the that are appropriate to but they be inspired by of the that the so in as care to dialectical but the of the with the of the to in the that the a but a that her and who the mother her by her and who will it on a on her wheelchair. This is present in the which is that of her that of some other but an and that of It is a for which the is by that are to the telos of care, but where the of the idea of with some other to both care and from a the of the is an of the of care at of and in the as a of the in the demands of the and the of some this with a is to this but to the that in the which is to the idea of The who a care home is, as a from her of can that and friends to but by a them an they are the of In could that on a care the is to a of The idea of with the to the from which the have been is by a telos that, as the can be in a and friends to this with in time as they is a time of and The with care to care for for of but care time is and in over other of The an to old and them care and other This to and what was the of a of on the but hardly so for the care and the who are hardly in the as a care home in the and of the an of the and the instrumental demands that is with the kind of that is of a of from the walk and the bathroom scenes to the and care home scenes the of in the of care. The walk and the bathroom scenes as the with his all the of care in this is a of scene, a kind of if it is of a of care. The of the son and that of the mother other scenes in which some other are other scenes from the son can with his to his care as to in the of a of the most is to that, though with is in the from the bathroom scene to the care home scene, are and on both on the scene be of a of in in is to to the idea of a that could that is, a to some demands that with a a that can This is the kind of that demands from the and from in to the that the of It is a of for in the of as as it that the is to and if she it is what an of might that is, whether it might the from in namely, that the and and the of the by which The the and would the of as it in could the the and a where they could the of time the of the that and could be the of a is at all it with that of a that can be The kind of that with an with an to the instrumental to which what is that will in this of a to it from other for which can This is the kind of that the son the some and that his and the demands that his mother imposes upon might then it is a of from the bathroom scene and the of care that with the and the care home then that his as his with his been the of the to be to the demands of the walk and the bathroom scenes, the mother in of which will in her with her She and She with a a she might her and to though it would be her to The son of the telos of care, and the as the of a can of a the mother and this would the of a of and the son will have in the his are other in which the mother can her care. The mother might have the walk and the bathroom scenes in the first She might have been a to intimate of care. She might on the of her son to the and that have her and are by her present of In the son would be in a to care for his mother being he will to her This is in which the could be for he his mother in the he in this it is the mother who from who care for the mother in the scene and the care who her in the care home scene can hardly be to the that the This in the in which the telos of care can be in scenes, in the that in the care home scene care are to a that, in some they could be with the of care the in with that on them to be to the in of can in activity but in the and the care home scenes the connection the telos of care and what the from them was It was the that the care was to for the that her from at the of her by a certain care a might that, in a can be present in in which a care to her to the for she she could most and of this is to the of this of and have some the of deliberation that is of dialectical activity as a of care. I examine two in the instrumental model that deliberation is with the most appropriate means to achieve a certain end, the model at the from the to activity, by the to what the of telos of in some deliberation is by a by a instrumental I have the of the is to the of in dialectical are as have the telos of dialectical activity but in the the of dialectical with other in the of a I would to some on the idea of deliberation by two of The first the and the the of a the first and the first some that when with a of deliberation is at is, might will with a both are just of the and the other the that might with It can be that is for deliberation in but that deliberation is to that if a is to a of she first be to the at and this a to what kind of are to the I the son could to take his mother to a care but are some to what could as a to his could present as a that this his It is that might with it is that could if he to this In might that and are to some namely, that, might in of the other of the to some a certain I that the to this on of but a the which can a to a for a of but from the of that are just a of is to be to but is to be this of is for the idea of that, of require in terms of some This will that a to is is from which to and the of by that, are is for and can two as in as a certain kind of can be for to some that both might but the is that with a certain for that the son could that he his mother to be in a care home at her he could to to his that he is with a if are to his as the of a he be to sketch some that a certain This is to that is that is but that, the it to for and that certain by of some might as is but the of is to with a in the of namely, that be that they be in to a of It can be that the of and the are with this It is to the of and to that when a a a certain kind of for her as as for her but that will her at some as to present a certain to this as the though some could be as is that the at which is by is the for the and for a in this a who a and a who is a conversation with her to to In this conversation, a might to the that the account all the that be to the and that she they are It will be for a to to the of the of but this might still be to the to a certain this the of the She will have to to the in a to that of a who to a of in order to be by what she as in the and a that imposes on the both from and from as of this deliberation for in the that can that a care to of and as the the of some care but could a from the that the of a be that the is the The of as a that the care who in this to a in other an to the demands of care. this and the that with it some as to what a can a that is are at with the that all be from a I that the of care as a dialectical activity a of that is as it is with the as to what the telos of care of in this that this is both to the instrumental and to the that this a of the of which a that be is to a certain is, it to a in order to both the and to the that is at which a and it to the that this the for she still to the that and are by the that to this I have two that care is a dialectical activity and that some scenes of care are as they can the demands of care in a I have that the walk and the bathroom scenes be in instrumental that is, as just the appropriate means to some The intimate in which both mother and son can hardly be in I have then to the scene of an intimate conversation friends to introduce the of dialectical activity, which I have from a instrumental action in of instrumental some on the nature of the walk and the bathroom scenes they have to the of some that the instrumental model as to and I have two scenes of care that in the namely, the and care home scenes. In of the that I as of dialectical I have that scenes are of with some as to to in scenes and to some scenes that might the telos of care In an of my for could be as an for the in this article to two of namely, that care in the end, the idea of and that require a kind of namely, which both and a the and the In to my for and as for and would to that the of care scenes I have been is to a of namely, that of the The of scenes will on the and is, that the and the of care scenes, care is to be as a dialectical activity that care will with that to and In the this dialectical model is from the instrumental This is I have the with this the which is to some of the instrumental with some care is as the care home scene is, a that I have it of the telos of care that to the and in order to at to that for with the care home the idea of a dialectical activity with a to a It be in this that the of care scenes I have is with of and can to as they the the and the care as as the of care scenes. take the conversation scene, as the of a dialectical activity but as the model of care, then care would be at the of and to the idea of the conversation scene is other scenes will as the of care, as the and so
Dialectic · Epistemology · Critical Theory and Philosophy · Foucault, Power, and Ethics · History · Philosophy
| Highly cited | No |
|---|