Feminist Ethics: History and Care Ethics

This video provides and intro to the history of Feminist thought and Care Ethics.

Textbook:
Matthews, G. & Hendricks, C. (2020) Introduction to Philosophy: Ethics. Rebus Community. 9781989014189.

Feminist Ethics
• Created by a variety of writers from the 1800s to today.
• Has three distinct eras defined by differing goals and ideologies.
o 1st Wave: 1800s to 1940s. Focused on the lack of rights, educational opportunities, and specific burdens placed on women.
 Mary Wollstonecraft (1759-1797)
 John Stuart Mill (1806-1873)
 Sojourner Truth (1797-1883)
 and Elizabeth Cady Stanton (1815-1902)
o 2nd Wave: 1950s to the 1980s. Focused on domestic/sexual violence, reproductive rights, and equal pay.
 Betty Friedan (1921-2006)
 Simone de Beauvoir (1908-1986)
o 3rd Wave: Started in the 80s and continues to today. Criticisms of the second wave, a turn to favor marginalized voices, and the formation of a particularly feminist ethic. Rejects beauty ideals, favors pornography, and focuses on sexuality.
 Alison Jaggar – Feminist ethics focused on marginalized groups
 Kimberle Crenshaw – conceptualized intersectionality
 Carol Gilligan highlights the difference between male and female perceptions of problems (men focus on justice and rights, and women focus on relationships).
 Judith Butler – Gender Performativity
 Naomi Wolf – Beauty Myth
 Rebecca Walker – Coined the term “Third-Wave Feminism”
• Gilligan’s Care Ethics (can serve as a moral theory and metaethical framework)
o Argues that women develop in three stages:
 Care for self for survival later understanding that too much care for self is selfish
 Caring for others and self-sacrifice
 Balance of care for self and care for others
o Morality requires a sentiment of care (Schopenhauer said something similar in On The Basis of Morality.)
 Caring for others may be a duty, but “naturally caring” for others is best.
• Some argue that care ethics makes women too focused on caring.
• Sandra Bartky argues that caring for others disempowers women. She argues that female caring is linked to their economic exploitation. Claims women can only truly care if they are true equals.
o Care ethics has advanced as relational theory has grown. The focus on human relationships and interconnectedness highlights ethical concerns.
 Argues that there are no independent interests.
 Vulnerable people deserve extra consideration.
 Contextual details of situations must be considered to maintain interests of persons.
 Argues that justice requires care to exist.
• Relational theory
o Argues that since autonomy requires self-sufficiency, no one can be truly self-sufficient.
o Argues that significant relationships must be recognized when making moral decisions.
• Identity theory
o Kimberle Crenshaw argues that people can have several overlapping identities, which may cause conflicting social responses.
 Such as being a black, gay woman.
 It is focused on people existing within several identities and feeling marginalized.
 Argues that “Single axis causes” marginalize people with multiple identities.