Bbh 301 Exam 1 (2)

Front 1

Feminist Ethics is a group of theories that...
What is it's goal?

Back 1

- "attempt to revise, reformulate, or rethink those aspects of traditional moral philosophy that depreciate or devalue women's (and other oppressed persons') moral experience"
- Not one ethic (actually inclusive)
- Lead to divergent applications to dilemmas
- Goal: develop a gender-neutral theory

Front 2

Common features of Feminist Ethics:

Back 2

- focus on consequences
- emphasize context (particularly social relationships)
- celebrate partiality (unfair bias) and intuition
- downplays doctrinal moral principles
- traditional focus on dilemmas of the "private sphere" (ex. healthcare of older relatives)

Front 3

Who was a student of Kohlberg who focused on moral development and how people made decisions?
What bothered here about Kohlberg?

Back 3

- Carol Gilligan
- Bothered that women were at stage 3 in his stages of moral development and that men were at stage 4 (argued that women thought about problems differently)

Front 4

Kohlberg's 6 Stages of Moral Development:

Back 4

1. Punishment-Obediance
--> Decisions based on punishment
2. Instrumental Relativist
--> "You scratch my back, I'll scratch yours..."
3. Interpersonal Concordance
--> Good boy/good girl (want to be known as good)
4. Law and Order
--> Following rules; need order
5. Social Contract
--> Mutual respect; aware of rules but take relationships into account
6. Universal Ethical Principles
--> JUSTICE is the most important; recognize ethical principles; fairness in decision-making

Front 5

Ethic of Care (Feminist Moral Perspective):

Back 5

Act in such a way to best meet one's responsibility to care for persons in relationships

Front 6

Moral Frames of Ethic of Care:

Back 6

1. Overemphasize self-interest
2. Overemphasize others' interests
3. Consider interests of self and others as a relational unit

Front 7

Strengths of Ethic of Care:

Back 7

- Gives voice to women's experience
- Contextual (not just right or wrong, but why are you in a situation where you're considering lying at all)
- Validation/Reinterpretation of "feminine" values
--> Compassion, Empathy, Nurturance, Kindness
- Beneficent (Nonmaleficent)
- Takes into account special obligations
- Downplays "duties"
- Makes sense of supererogation (going beyond the call of duty)
--> Ex) Hiding slaves w/o no direct benefit

Front 8

Weaknesses of Ethic of Care:

Back 8

- Inconsistent
--> Focus on fickle feelings and emotions
--> Less concern for justice (contrast to Kohlberg)
- Incommensurable values
- What is care?
--> One doesn't have to be caring to work in this ethic
--> One may be beneficent but not care (could have other reasons for doing good for someone, which makes this a controversial idea)