Feminist Moral Theory



Feminist Moral Theory (FMT)

Feminist Moral Theory is—

• not a theory of moral obligation

• the attempt to expose what feminists regard as certain shortcomings in traditional moral theories (e.g., utilitarianism, Kant’s moral theory) and to suggest corrections

According to feminists, FMT is needed because--

• we live in sexist societies that fail to appreciate adequately the

moral insights of women

• traditional moral theories neglect women’s moral experience

• it is important to assert that women’s moral experience is of equal importance to that of men and that women are of equal moral worth as human beings

• there is empirical evidence that there are differences between men and women with respect to morality

Shortcomings of traditional moral theories (according to FMT):

• over-emphasis on economic and political relationships among rational, autonomous individuals and the under-emphasis of other kinds of inter-personal relationships (e.g., the mother-child relationship)

• the (false) assumption that all of our moral obligations can be captured in a small number of abstract, universal principles

• the failure to give adequate recognition to the role of feelings in morality and the over-emphasis of reason as the way to arrive at moral judgments

According to some feminists, one important aspect of women’s moral experience that is not adequately appreciated in traditional moral theories is

caring

• The caring that is part of (most) mothers’ relationships with their children is not part of (most) men’s moral experience and therefore is not given adequate recognition in traditional moral theories (which have been developed mainly by men).

• The moral insights afforded by caring relationships, such as those between mothers and children, cannot be captured in abstract, universal moral principles.

• The moral experience of women, and the kinds of interpersonal relationships that mainly involve women, are at least as important to morality as the economic and political relationships emphasized by traditional moral theories.

• The mother-child relationship may be a better model for “social trust” than the individualistic, contractual relationships that are emphasized by traditional moral theories.

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