[The interweaving of threads in the fabric of care.]

Abstract

There are different motivations that induce a human being to take care of another, and it is from their intertwining, integrated into an organic fabric, that care in its entirety takes shape. The cure that is nourished by pietas, which refers us above all to the relationships that develop within the family, can be preached, but it is not possible to force the reluctant to practice it; and when it fails or takes on complex aspects, other methods of care appear on the social scene, in particular that which is inspired by a philanthropic ideal. Even in this context we cannot talk about rights and legal obligations, and it is in this context that we place volunteering, an indispensable completion of the care that has its roots in pietas. But when the limits of volunteering are outlined (difficulty in planning and precariousness) we see the emergence of care provided by professional caregivers. Those who carry out care professionally have received adequate training and undertake to keep it updated, and are also bound by a set of rules, which have the value of ethical commitments. The most important of these is not to make care depend on the human quality of those who receive it: everyone has the right to be cared on the basis of need, not merit, at least in societies that have adopted the model of universal healthcare. Care is the bond that holds together the society that has made solidarity its founding value.