Care Ethics and Robotics: A Philosophical Inquiry
How Moral Theory Shapes Machine Design

About this book:

**What if we’re asking the wrong questions about robots?** We obsess over whether machines can *think* or *feel*—but we’ve barely asked what they *should do* in the intimate spaces of our lives. As robots enter our homes, hospitals, and classrooms, the old ethical toolkits of rules and calculations fall apart. *Care Ethics and Robotics* delivers a radical alternative: a moral framework built not on abstract duties, but on the messy, vital reality of human relationships, vulnerability, and dependency.

This is not a dry philosophy text. It’s a blueprinted overhaul of how we design, deploy, and govern intelligent machines—from assistive and companion robots to autonomous weapons and industrial automation. Drawing on decades of feminist care theory, the book moves beyond techno-hype and doomerism to ask the hard, practical questions: How do we ensure a robot strengthens human connection rather than replacing it? How do we embed relational values into hardware constraints and reward functions? And how do we build a future where our most powerful tools are dedicated to preserving human dignity, not just efficiency?

Whether you’re a roboticist, policymaker, ethicist, or simply someone who will one day rely on a machine’s care, this book offers a compelling, actionable vision. It’s a manifesto for a more compassionate, equitable, and profoundly human technological age—and an invitation to rethink what it means to care, together.