Deck 11: Feminist Ethics and the Ethics of Care

Question 1

Talk about:
-Ethics of care

Answer 1

a moral perspective that emphasizes the centrality of care as the model of admirable moral relations.

Question 2

Talk about:
-Feminist ethics

Answer 2

a family of moral theories committed to four central claims; (i) women are the moral equals of men; (ii) the experiences of women deserve our respect and are vital to a full and accurate understanding of morality; (iii) traits that have traditionally been associated with women are at least as morally important as traditionally masculine traits; and (iv) traditionally feminine ways of moral reasoning are often superior to traditionally masculine ways of reasoning.

Question 3

Talk about:
-Partiality

Answer 3

showing greater concern for, or assigning greater importance to, some beings rather than others.

Question 4

Talk about:
-Supreme moral rule

Question 5

Compare and contrast the ethics of care with one of the ethical theories discussed previously. What advantages do you think the ethics of care has over the alternative theory you've chosen? In what ways is the other theory preferable? Which do you think is ultimately more satisfactory, and why?

Question 6

Write an essay discussing the ethical value of impartiality. Why do feminists downplay the importance of impartiality, and why have other philosophers held it to be important? Is impartiality an important ethical value or not? Defend your answers.

Question 7

What are some of the distinctive experiences of women, and how have feminist ethicists suggested that these should inform our moral theorizing? Do you think they are correct in thinking this? Why or why not?

Question 8

Write an essay discussing the ethical concept of rights. What role has this concept traditionally played, and why do feminists think that it has been overemphasized? Do you agree with the feminist critique? Why or why not?

Question 9

According to Lindemann, feminism is fundamentally concerned with

A) power.
B) women.
C) equality.
D) difference.

Question 10

As Lindemann sees it, the project of feminist ethics is to _______ how gender operates in our moral beliefs and practices.

A) understand
B) criticize
C) correct
D) All of the above

Question 11

Lindemann thinks that ethics and politics

A) ought to inform one another.
B) ought to be kept separate.
C) cannot be kept separate, but this is unfortunate.
D) have nothing to do with one another.

Question 12

Which of the following does Lindemann mention as a problem with the equality definition of feminism?

A) That men remain the reference point
B) That feminists are unconcerned with asymmetries in the treatment of men and women
C) That equality is not morally important
D) None of the above (She endorses the equality definition.)

Question 13

According to Lindemann, why is gender problematic?

A) It doesn't acknowledge the existence of in-betweens.
B) It tells men that they're entitled to things and women to be deferential.
C) It is a social power relation that poses as a natural biological distinction.
D) All of the above

Question 14

According to Lindemann, relations of unequal power are

A) always illegitimate.
B) sometimes legitimate and sometimes illegitimate.
C) not morally important.
D) impossible.

Question 15

Lindemann criticizes ethicists for not paying sufficient attention to

A) how people really live and what it's like for them to live that way.
B) abstract moral principles.
C) the contributions of historical theories of morality.
D) All of the above

Question 16

Lindemann thinks that it is a mistake for non-feminist ethicists to divorce ethics and politics because

A) ethics and politics are the same.
B) it is difficult or impossible to do ethics while leaving one's politics behind.
C) ethics comes before politics.
D) those who excel in ethics have much to contribute to politics.

Question 17

What is gender, according to Lindemann?

A) A social invention
B) A system of rules governing how men and women are supposed to behave
C) A biological fact about one's reproductive organs
D) Both a and b

Question 18

A normative claim is a claim

A) about the social conventions of a society.
B) that describes the world accurately.
C) about how things ought to be.
D) about the way things usually operate.

Question 19

What is the difference between description and prescription? In what ways is feminist ethics committed to both? Why does Lindemann claim that the feminist approach to ethics is more descriptive than other approaches? Do you agree with her that this is a good thing? Defend your answers.

Question 20

Write an essay critically examining Lindemann's remarks on gender. First, present Lindemann's account of what gender is and the role it plays in society. Then, present what you take to be the most powerful objection to Lindemann's view. Do you think she can overcome the objection? Defend your answer.

Question 21

Write an essay on the relationship between feminist politics and feminist ethics. How does Lindemann see the two as related? How does her approach differ from other approaches to the relationship between ethics and politics? Do you find her view attractive? Why or why not?

Question 22

Case Study
Jacob and Diana are spouses who have an extremely close relationship. They have a "no secrets" policy-they tell each other nearly everything and never keep anything important from each other. The only things they ever keep secret are things like gifts or surprise parties. They believe that this degree of openness and trust allows them to have a deeper and more meaningful relationship than would otherwise be possible.
Recently, Jacob's childhood friend Nicole revealed to him a dark, traumatic secret from her past. Nicole, distraught, asked Jacob to promise her not to repeat it to anyone, and Jacob, not wanting to upset her in the moment, agreed. But soon after, Jacob realized that keeping his promise would mean keeping something important for Diana, which would violate her trust. Diana knows Nicole but is much less close with her, so Jacob understands why Nicole would not want her to know. But he and Diana tell each other everything-that's just how it is.
-To what features of this situation would a feminist ethical approach tell us to be sensitive in determining what Jacob should do? How would this approach to understanding what Jacob should do differ from traditional ethical approaches to such cases? Which approach is better?

Question 23

Case Study
Jacob and Diana are spouses who have an extremely close relationship. They have a "no secrets" policy-they tell each other nearly everything and never keep anything important from each other. The only things they ever keep secret are things like gifts or surprise parties. They believe that this degree of openness and trust allows them to have a deeper and more meaningful relationship than would otherwise be possible.
Recently, Jacob's childhood friend Nicole revealed to him a dark, traumatic secret from her past. Nicole, distraught, asked Jacob to promise her not to repeat it to anyone, and Jacob, not wanting to upset her in the moment, agreed. But soon after, Jacob realized that keeping his promise would mean keeping something important for Diana, which would violate her trust. Diana knows Nicole but is much less close with her, so Jacob understands why Nicole would not want her to know. But he and Diana tell each other everything-that's just how it is.
-Does the fact that this case involves interpersonal relationships make a feminist ethical approach particularly apt? Is a feminist approach generally more useful than a traditional approach when it comes to the ethics of relationships? Why or why not?