Deck 7: Feminist Ethics and the Ethics of Care

Question 1

Crosthwaite observes that feminism has a unifying theme, which is the

A) concern to redefine femininity and masculinity.
B) development of a female worldview.
C) concern to understand and eliminate the oppression of women in all its guises.
D) development of powerful ideas.

Answer 1

C

Question 2

Baier makes a case for moral theories that can accommodate both an ethic of justice and an ethic of

A) femininity.
B) social reformation.
C) gender success.
D) care.

Answer 2

D

Question 3

Feminist ethics generally downplays the role of

A) gender politics.
B) moral principles.
C) women.
D) men.

Answer 3

B

Question 4

Crosthwaite writes that the idea of care as a feminine ethic is

A) correct.
B) incorrect.
C) problematic.
D) irrelevant to the cause.

Question 5

Baier says some philosophers think that justice is

A) not a social value.
B) synonymous with care.
C) only one virtue among many.
D) unnecessary .

Question 6

Baier insists that the best moral theory has to be a product of women and

A) subjective concerns.
B) feminist virtues.
C) men.
D) moral authorities.

Question 7

According to Jaggar, feminist approaches to ethics are distinguished by an explicit commitment to

A) Kantian theory.
B) correcting male biases.
C) adopting absolutist principles.
D) establishing the ethics of care.

Question 8

The feminist charges against Western ethics include

A) lack of concern for ethics.
B) an overemphasis on women's needs.
C) lack of concern for women's interests.
D) an overemphasis on virtues.

Question 9

Jaggar says that Western ethics has neglected

A) moral principles.
B) women's issues.
C) eastern perspectives.
D) moral actions.

Question 10

Feminist ethics is defined by

A) a set of doctrines or common ideology among feminists.
B) a distinctive focus on women's issues.
C) a distinctive focus on traditional ethical concepts.
D) radical philosophy.

Question 11

Many feminists think that the familiar principles of Western ethics-autonomy, utility, freedom, equality, and the like-are

A) too broad and abstract to help us make moral judgments about specific persons who are enmeshed in concrete social situations.
B) too narrowly focused on the distinctive needs of upper-class women.
C) too broad and incoherent to help us make moral judgments.
D) outmoded concepts.

Question 12

Kant would probably judge the ethics of care to be

A) essential to moral theories.
B) difficult to understand.
C) wrong-headed.
D) an implication of his own theory.

Question 13

Many feminist writers maintain that the values and virtues inherent in most traditional moral theories reflect a(n)

A) typically female perspective.
B) openness to an ethic of compromise.
C) worthless tradition.
D) typically masculine perspective.

Question 14

The values of interdependence, community, connection, sharing, emotion, body, trust, absence of hierarchy, nature, immanence, process, joy, peace, and life are supposedly

A) masculine values.
B) not present in the real world.
C) feminine or female-associated values.
D) values of contemporary society.

Question 15

Some proponents of feminist ethics reject the traditional concept of

A) compassion.
B) the moral agent.
C) moral virtue.
D) social ties.

Question 16

The notion that men and women have dramatically different styles of moral decision-making was highlighted in research done by

A) Annette Baier.
B) Alison Jaggar.
C) Virginia Held.
D) Carol Gilligan.

Question 17

The ethics of care, like much feminist thought, _______ traditional notions about the public and the private.

A) rejects
B) reconceptualizes
C) adheres to
D) reinforces

Question 18

According to Jaggar, feminist ethics has been misconstrued by proponents and critics.

Question 19

Crosthwaite says that the idea of care as a feminine ethic is problematic.

Question 20

Baier criticizes justice oriented moral theories.

Question 21

Crosthwaite believes that there really is no difference between the liberal individualist and the feminist concepts of moral persons.

Question 22

Baier rejects the concept of justice.

Question 23

According to Crosthwaite, gender inequality does not exist in healthcare.

Question 24

According to Jaggar, justice and care are incompatible.

Question 25

Crosthwaite says there is a real difference between the liberal individualist and the feminist concepts of moral persons.

Question 26

The ethics of care values emotion rather than rejects it.

Question 27

Baier says that the best moral theory must be a cooperative product of women and men.

Question 28

Virtue ethics reminds us that virtues are part of the moral life.

Question 29

Impartiality in morality requires us to give special weight to persons like ourselves.

Question 30

Most moral theories emphasize duties and downplay the role of emotions, attitudes, and motivations.

Question 31

The ethics of care shifts the focus of moral theories to the unique demands of specific situations and virtues.

Question 32

The ethics of care is, at its core, a Kantian moral theory.

Question 33

Feminist ethics tends to emphasize that individuals are located in and formed by specific relationships and ties of affection and responsibility.

Question 34

Caring is an essential part of morality.

Question 35

Principles, not virtues, are a necessary part of the moral life.

Question 36

Impartiality in morality requires us to consider everyone as equal.

Question 37

Do you agree with Jaggar that feminist ethics has been misconstrued by proponents and critics? Explain.

Question 38

What are Jaggar's four "minimum conditions of adequacy for feminist ethics"? Are they plausible? Why or why not?

Question 39

What are the main feminist criticisms of Western ethics?

Question 40

Does Crosthwaite believe that gender inequality and discrimination are manifested in healthcare? If so, how? Do you agree with her?

Question 41

What is the liberal individualist concept of persons? How do feminist concepts of persons differ? Which view is more plausible?

Question 42

Does Baier think there is a place for both justice and virtue in moral theories? What criticisms does she lodge against justice-oriented moral theories? Do you agree with her?

Question 43

What challenges to Western ethics does Jaggar identify? Do you think these are justified? If so, why?

Question 44

Why does Crosthwaite say that the idea of care as a feminine ethics is problematic?

Question 45

How does Held distinguish between the ethics of care and virtue ethics?