Feminist-Based EthicsBy: Ashley Scheuers

Christina OlsonAndrea WalsdorfAmanda Theune

Monday 1:30November 2, 2009Ethical Theories Presentation

Theory ofFeminist-Based Ethics

Feminist- Based Ethics is an attempt to revise, reformulate, or rethink traditional ethics to the extent it depreciates or devalues women's moral experience.

Mary Wollstonecraft

“Wollstonecraft denied that women are doomed by nature to be less virtuous than men.”

April 1759 – September 1797

Mary Wollstonecraft’s Theoryo Argued that women are not naturally inferior to meno Believed lack of education made them appear this wayo Her goal was to change this persona

Alison Jaggar

“All feminist ethicists share the same goal: the creation of a gendered ethics that aims to eliminate or at least ameliorate the oppression of any group of people, but most particularly women.”

? – Present Day

Alison Jaggar’s Theory

Jaggar faults traditional ethics for letting women down in five related ways.

First OffenseIt shows less concern for women's as opposed to men's issues and interests.

Second OffenseTraditional ethics views the women's place as doing housework, taking care of children, the sick, and the elderly.

Third OffenseIt implies that, in general, women are not as morally mature or deep as men.

Fourth OffenseTraditional ethics values culturally masculine traits, while it fails to appreciate culturally feminine traits.

Fifth OffenseFinally, it favors “male” ways of moral reasoning over the “female” ways.

Feminist ApproachesLiberal feminists

◦Unless women have the same opportunities that men have, women will not be able to achieve their full potential.

Cont…Radical Feminists

◦liberal feminist agenda is wrongly focuses on weak “affirmative-action”

◦ Women will remain the second-sex until women gain full control over their reproductive powers and sexual desires. 

Cont…Marxist/Socialist Feminists

◦Only effective way to end women's subordination to men is to replace the capitalist systems with socialist systems

◦ Women must be men's economic equals before they can be as powerful as men

Cont…Multicultural Feminists

◦As they see it, feminists should not focus exclusively on women's oppression

◦They should understand that everything about a woman explains her status in society

Cont…Ecofeminists

◦Believe feminists do not pay attention to human beings' duties to animals

First Feminist CriticismSome critics find that feminists are

effectively preaching hate against males or claiming male inferiority, citing that if the words "male" and "female" were replaced by "black" and "white" respectively in some feminist writings, the texts could be viewed as racist propaganda.

Second Feminist CriticismMany people object to the feminist

movement as trying to destroy traditional gender roles. They say that men and women have many natural differences and that everyone benefits from recognizing those differences.

Tonya AllingAlling Enterprises was launched in 1998. Since then, the business has grown to include clients in the midwest and across the United States. Her business brings in over $100,000 yearly.

Tonya has three children, her youngest is autistic. She juggles the role of a mother of a special needs child as well as a business woman continuing to build her business.

Review Questions

1. How would you define Feminism?

2. How does Feminism relate to modern society?

3. What is your opinion on Feminism?

Some People Say We Don’t Need Feminism Anymore

-1 in 4 Women are STILL raped.

- 87out of 100 U.S. Senators are STILL Men

-5 Million Women STILL starve themselves to look “beautiful”

-Women’s health, freedom, safety, and reproductive rights are STILL threatened around the world.

We Say We DO!