Annette Baier: The Need for More than Justice

 

Name of the Book: Contemporary Moral Problems

Library Reference: N/A

Amazon Link:

 

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_gw?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=

contemporary+moral+problems&x=0&y=0

 

Quote:

 

“It is easy to exaggerate the differences of view that exist, and I want to avoid that. The differences are as much emphasis as in substance, or we can say that they are differences in tone of voice.”

 

Learning Expectations:

 

1. To know all about this topic.

2. To know about justice perspective.

3. To know more about moral theory related to justice

4. To know what is care perspective.

5. To relate this topic to other topics of this book to other topics that also tackles justice.

 

Review:

 

“Feminist ethics shares the general feminist goal of eliminating the subordination and oppression of women and enhancing societal respect for women's viewpoints and capacities. Toward this end, feminist ethics adopts a number of diverse methodological strategies, including the defense of theories and concepts that seem more compatible with women's modes of reflection and understanding than do those of mainstream ethics. Some of these strategies were developing simultaneously for non-feminist reasons in mainstream philosophical ethics. These coincident strategies include: a search for alternatives to Kantian and utilitarian ethics, legitimating of the personal point of view, defense of the role of emotion in moral judgment and development of a relationally oriented moral psychology.”

She describes the shortcomings of a system of ethics based solely on justice. “The solution, Baier says, is the introduction of “care” as an ethical system to supplement traditional liberal theories of justice.  She contends that women are more likely to have feelings of care, while men generally claimed to take only the justice perspective.  Baier argues that the perspective of caretakers fulfills people’s emotional needs to be attached to something.  Reciprocal equality, characteristic of contractarian liberalism, does not guarantee this attachment “. While on care perspective she describes that “Women, by contrast, are more often concerned with substantive moral matters of care, personal relationships and avoiding hurt to others. They tend to avoid abstract principles and universalist pretensions and to focus instead on contextual detail and interpersonal emotional responsiveness.”

These are the criticisms or responses to Giligan and I think all of this are the basis on as to why this theory was deveopled.First, the empirical correlation between gender and moral perspective was not uniform and the data themselves were open to various interpretations. Second, women's orientation toward care and personal relationships seemed mainly to reflect the social role of the traditional, full-time heterosexual wife and mother. A third objection is that the empirical research underlying Gilligan's discussion of care ethics was based only on white, middle-class, heterosexual women, and her writings did not acknowledge that differences among women might make a difference to their moral perspectives.

            The theory of Kohlberg’s on moral development has three theories of moral development, which are: Pre-conventional level, Conventional, and Post-conventional.

 

 

Reference: http://72.14.235.132/search?q=cache:Fbw6JmSObJcJ:www.fathom.com/feature/122100/index.html+Annette+Baier:+care+perspective&hl=tl&ct=clnk&cd=1&gl=ph&client=firefox-a

 

Learning’s/Insights:

 

·         “Justice perspective by itself is inadequate as a moral theory”

·         “Women, by contrast, are more often concerned with substantive moral matters of care, personal relationships and avoiding hurt to others. They tend to avoid abstract principles and universalist pretensions and to focus instead on contextual detail and interpersonal emotional responsiveness”

·         ”Women are more likely to have feelings of care, while men generally claimed to take only the justice perspective”

 

Integrative Questions:

 

1. What is Moral Theory?

2. What is Care perspective according to the topic?

3. What is Justice perspective according to the topic?

4. What is counterculture?

5. What is the first virtue of social institutions?

 

Review Questions:

 

1. Distinguish between the justice and care perspective. According to Gilligan, how do these perspectives develop?

 

She describes the shortcomings of a system of ethics based solely on justice. “The solution, Baier says, is the introduction of “care” as an ethical system to supplement traditional liberal theories of justice.  She contends that women are more likely to have feelings of care, while men generally claimed to take only the justice perspective.  Baier argues that the perspective of caretakers fulfills people’s emotional needs to be attached to something.  Reciprocal equality, characteristic of contractarian liberalism, does not guarantee this attachment “. While on care perspective she describes that “Women, by contrast, are more often concerned with substantive moral matters of care, personal relationships and avoiding hurt to others. They tend to avoid abstract principles and universalist pretensions and to focus instead on contextual detail and interpersonal emotional responsiveness.”

 

2. Explain Kohlberg’s theory of moral development. What criticisms do Gilligan and Baier make of this theory?

 

These are the criticisms or responses to Giligan and I think all of this are the basis on as to why this theory was deveopled.First, the empirical correlation between gender and moral perspective was not uniform and the data themselves were open to various interpretations. Second, women's orientation toward care and personal relationships seemed mainly to reflect the social role of the traditional, full-time heterosexual wife and mother. A third objection is that the empirical research underlying Gilligan's discussion of care ethics was based only on white, middle-class, heterosexual women, and her writings did not acknowledge that differences among women might make a difference to their moral perspectives.

            The theory of Kohlberg’s on moral development has three theories of moral development, which are: Pre-conventional level, Conventional, and Post-conventional.

 

3. Baier says there are three important differences between Kantian liberals and their critics. What are these differences?

 

The three important differences between Kantian liberals and their ethics based on what Baiers’s states are, the relative weight put on relationships between equal, the relative weight put on freedom of choice, and the authority of intellect over emotions.

 

4. Why does Baier attack the Kantian view that the reason should control unruly passions?

 

I think Baier only knows her views and not open to others views, maybe because she’s not familiar to it or not even open to know it.

 

Discussion Questions:

 

1.  What does Baier mean when she speaks of the need "to trans value the values of our patriarchal past"? Do new values replace the old ones? If so, do we abandon justice, freedom, and rights?

 

Yes it is replacing the old values and creating new ones. But it doesn’t necessarily mean that the replaced values are not good, it just that replacement method are one way of improving other values and not literally abandoning the old ones.

 

2. What is wrong with Kantian view that extends equal rights to all rational beings, including women and minorities? What would Baier say? What do you think?

 

Based on what I’ve read I think Baier’s view was insufficient that’s why she is in favor to other views.

 

3. Baier seems to reject the Kantian emphasis on freedom of choice. Granted, we do not choose our parents, but still don't we have freedom of choice about many things, and isn't this very important?

 

Having freedom is important we all know that. But there are instances that we cannot chooses because of some reasons. But overall even though there are times that it is hard for us to choose still we need to choose and still we need freedom.