Feminist Moral Theory

Question 1

Definition

Answer 1

Feminist moral theory critiques traditional moral theories for ignoring or downplaying women’s experiences and contributions to ethical reasoning.

Question 2

Care Ethics

Answer 2

Feminist theorists often focus on relationships, empathy, and care, contrasting with abstract, rule-based approaches to morality.

Question 3

Critique of Universalism

Answer 3

Feminist ethics questions whether universal moral principles adequately address the lived experiences of marginalized groups, especially women.

Question 4

Virginia Held

Answer 4

-Virginia Held is a prominent advocate of the ethics of care, a feminist approach that emphasizes the importance of caring relationships and emotional engagement in moral reasoning.
-Focus on Relationships: Held argues that traditional moral theories (like Kantian ethics or utilitarianism) overly focus on abstract principles and neglect the significance of human relationships, especially caregiving.
- Moral Importance of Care: She believes that care is not just a private matter but a central, moral concern that should influence public policies and societal structures.
- Against Overemphasis on Autonomy: While autonomy is important, Held critiques the liberal tradition’s overemphasis on individual independence, advocating instead for interdependence and cooperation.
- Public and Private Spheres: Held’s work challenges the strict separation of the public (e.g., politics, economics) and private (e.g., family, caregiving) spheres, arguing that ethics must address how care and dependency are handled in both.

Question 5

Universalism Objection

Answer 5

Critics of feminist ethics might argue that focusing on care and relationships leads to relativism or subjectivity in morality.

Question 6

Response to Universalism Objection

Answer 6

Feminists argue that context and relationships provide a fuller understanding of human morality than rigid, abstract principles