自從Gillgan（1982）發表《不同聲音》以來，關懷倫理學和正義倫理學就處於分庭抗禮的地位。三十年以來，就關懷和正義兩種價值關係的相關探討，或對立、或折衷、或化約，如Darwall（2002）、Slote（2007）將關懷納入正義體系之中。在此發展的背景下，Held（2006）主張關懷倫理學的規範性具有雙重意義，一方面是拒絕將關懷納入正義倫理學，德性論亦然﹔另一方面是以關懷為價值的規範性體系，評量與修正關懷實踐，標榜關懷為政治價值。

The publication of In a Different Voice (Gilligan, 1982) has been a significant event in the development of women’s way of thinking. Ethics of care, which is different from male (main) stream moral theory of justice and impartiality, is moral practices about caring vulnerable others and sustaining intimate relationships. Despite the well-acknowledged contrast between care ethics and morality of justice, ethicists such as Darwall (2002) and Slote (2007), both are under the great influence of care ethics, have attempted to incorporate the two by reducing care ethics into impartial moral system. In response, Held (2006) defends care ethics as an alternative normative moral theory irreducible to morality of justice, virtue ethics as well. In addition, Held (2006) proposes to take care as valuable to any relation in general, social relation in particular, so that caring practices can be evaluated and bad ones should be reformed.