Verified Document

Women Want In A Moral Theory, Suggests Term Paper

¶ … Women Want in a Moral Theory," suggests a reevaluation of traditional moral theories that were formulated primarily by male philosophers. Baier advocates a moral theory based on trust and cooperation, rather than on coercion. According to the author, "men's theories of obligation need supplementation to have much chance of integrity and coherence." The supplementation she posits is the concept of trust. Trust, Baier believes, is central to any comprehensive moral theory. It bridges the gap between male theories of coercive morality and female love-based morality. Obligation and coercion should be mainly used as crutches, in instances where mutual trust or cooperation are impossible. Baier's assumption that male theorists overemphasize the relevance of moral coercion is correct. The world is filled with "thou shalts" and other obligatory concepts of morality. This prevents the individual from making sound moral judgments based on intuitive or instinctual...

Moreover, moral obligation forces the individual to place trust in authorities that might not be valid. Moral obligation -- the enforcement of proscribed moral laws -- entails a loss of liberty.
Liberty, however, is not Baier's central issue or the primary problem she finds in traditional, male-created moral theories. Rather, Baier notices that men and women approach morality differently: men rely more on a hierarchical structure to enforce moral laws, while women rely more on love and caring. Baier does not suggest abandoning male theories altogether, but instead prefers to find a common ground that is acceptable and relevant for all. This common ground lies in the concept of "appropriate trust," which Baier finds is "oddly neglected in moral theory." Moral trust "mediates between reason and feeling," which is the key to a universal moral theory. A moral theory based on reasonable trust encompasses both the rational approach of moral obligation and…

Cite this Document:
Copy Bibliography Citation

Related Documents

Moral Theory - Bartenders the
Words: 2274 Length: 8 Document Type: Term Paper

Criminal laws absolutely prohibit furnishing alcohol to minors, even formally requiring bartenders to check the identification of any patron who appears even slightly older than the legal age for alcohol consumption (Schmalleger 1997). Conceivably, the same absolute standard could easily be applied to drinking in conjunction with driving. Furthermore, when it comes to protecting their own financial interests, bartenders often enforce standards beyond what it required by law: they

Moral Development and Children
Words: 1596 Length: 4 Document Type: Research Paper

MORAL DEVELOPMENT & GENDER CARE | Moral Development and Gender Care Theories Moral Development Moral development in humans occurs naturally together with physical, social and mental development. Individually as well as in social settings, mankind evolves a developed moral character and conscience in spite of numerous social and psychological barriers, which temporarily retard or disturb the process. In axiology, concepts of moral development give rise to feelings of being an active and developing

Women's Issues When the Term
Words: 1740 Length: 6 Document Type: Interview

However, Suzanne is a white woman. Obviously, a woman of color would have had a different experience in that same time period, because there were not darker skinned women in powerful roles in the media. When they did appear, they may have been relegated to subservient positions or be women with very Caucasian features, like Dorothy Dandridge. Therefore, it is important to keep in mind that Suzanne's experience is

Theories and Theorists
Words: 1231 Length: 4 Document Type: Essay

Criminology Theories and Theorists Theorists in the field of criminal justice: Howard Becker and Robert Agnew The field of sociology has been extremely influential in shaping our concept of criminal justice in the 20th century. Rather than focusing on biological or moral theories of why people commit crimes, criminology has begun to place more emphasis on how social pressures may shape the decision of an individual to engage in criminal behavior or to eschew

The Effect of Integration on Ci Humint Collection Women in Combat
Words: 20308 Length: 20 Document Type: Essay

Women in Combat: The Effect of Integration on CI/HUMINT Collection The Effect of Integration on CI/HUMINT Collection: Women in Combat Key Words: #Combat # Integration # CI/HUMINT The success of any counterinsurgency operation depends largely on the effectiveness and appropriateness of intelligence gathered. Human subjects are a crucial source of intelligence for counterinsurgency operations. Recently, the Pentagon announced its plan to open up all ground combat roles that had previously been closed to

The Effect of Integration on Ci Humint Collection Women in Combat
Words: 20780 Length: 70 Document Type: Essay

Women in Combat: The Effect of Integration on CI/HUMINT Collection The Effect of Integration on CI/HUMINT Collection: Women in Combat Key Words: #Combat # Integration # CI/HUMINT The success of any counterinsurgency operation depends largely on the effectiveness and appropriateness of intelligence gathered. Human subjects are a crucial source of intelligence for counterinsurgency operations. Recently, the Pentagon announced its plan to open up all ground combat roles that had previously been closed to

Sign Up for Unlimited Study Help

Our semester plans gives you unlimited, unrestricted access to our entire library of resources —writing tools, guides, example essays, tutorials, class notes, and more.

Get Started Now