[FutureCSI]

Some recent studies have cast doubt on the claim that there are distinctively masculine and femenine prospectives on morality.

If correct do these studies affect Baier's criticisms of the ethics of justice?

[Clough]

Hi, FutureCSI!

Is this a homework question? It would be helpful to know that if it is.

Thanks!

[FutureCSI]

Not quite. It was for the ethical class I was missing to acquire my license, but not at all homework. This is a topic that came up I class. ( I was never tested in this material) and did not quite get it. Thus, the reason why I thought you might help me understand. But I understand it now, thank you.

[TUT317]

Not quite. It was for the ethical class i was missing to acquire my license, but not at all homework. This is a topic that came up i class. ( i was never tested in this material) and did not quite get it. Thus, the reason why i thought you might help me understand. But i understand it now, thank you.

Hi FutureCSI,

If you do then you are doing better than I am.

I don't know much about Baier and this is largely by my own choosing.However, upon reflection I am likely to change my mind when it comes to masculine and feminine ethics.

Based on my limited reading it seems Baier is saying women have a sense of caring which is innate. Women on this basis are less likely to be cruel towards babies, children and probably animals. In other words, women have a moral sense. An analogy would be that women have a moral sense much in the same way as we have a sense of humor. Without going into too much detail this seems similar to Hume's position. I suspect she is saying women have a more developed faculty of moral perception compared with men.

If women are from an ethical 'Venus' then philosophically speaking were are men from? The answer probably is from an ethical 'Kant'. On this basis Kant could be criticized by Baier because he focuses too much on justice and rights at the expense of caring and personal relationships. No doubt because men dominate the social, political and legal system this type of 'indifferent' approach dominates.

Obviously we cannot say that all men are non caring because this is simply not true. But I guess we could fashion some type of argument which supports the idea that women have a natural tendency to be this way.

This is only a guess, but I would say that recent studies which cast doubt on this thesis would be bound up in the idea that maternal instincts can be created or destroyed depending upon ones environment. In other words, such 'instincts' can be learned.



Regards

Tut