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Feminist ethics: Key ideas and issues... (Part 2)

Information: This is Part 2 of an introduction to feminist ethics, looking at some of the key issues and concerns feminists have about traditional approaches to questions of morality.

How society has been shaped by sexist ethics (continued)

Feminists also argue that patriarchal societies have created a situation where certain 'virtues' (or qualities) are considered masculine or feminine, and that these are also associated with 'ideals of behaviour' in the private and public spheres of life. For instance, in the male-dominated public spheres of life, one tends to find that embracing qualities to do with competition, dominance, rationality, adherence to rules etc., are the basis for success:

'Perhaps most important is concern about the violent and destructive consequences to human life and to the planet of those fields of activity which have been largely male-dominated, such as war, politics, and capitalistic economic domination... In some contemporary feminist thinking this has been linked to a view that many forms of aggression and destruction are closely linked to the nature of 'masculinity' and the male psyche.' (Jean Grimshaw in Singer (Ed.), A Companion to Ethics, Blackwell)

Of course, in doing this men are suggesting (either deliberately or inadvertently) that the 'ideal' in the private sphere (largely the domain of women up to now) is to be associated with embracing 'opposite' qualities such as co-operation, friendship, emotion, submission etc., and that these too are the measure of success there (i.e. the ideal woman is submissive etc.). However, feminists argue that these qualities do not define the true nature of 'femininity', but are simply a description of what men think (and expect) women to be like. They are also qualities men do not feel any association with, and as such they have become less-than ideal for men to adopt.

'It might, for example, be the case, not so much that women and men reason differently about moral issues, but that their ethical priorities differ, and that what is regarded as an important principle by women (such as maintaining relationships) is commonly seen by men as a failure of principle.' (Jean Grimshaw in Singer (Ed.), A Companion to Ethics, Blackwell)

So another way we see the influence of sexist ethics in society, is that we basically live in a dog-eat-dog world. Success in the public sphere is measured by how far one climbs the many work-related, social, political, religious ladders, no matter who one treads on to get 'up there'. Yet this view of the nature of 'success' (according to feminists) is far too one-sided; being nothing more than the sum of what men have decided the nature of success to be.

However, rather than simply 'tacking-on' some female insights (or putting women into leadership positions) in a vain attempt to re-dress the balance, many feminists want to start over again, and claim the right to define what the 'feminine' consists of for themselves. Only in this way can they begin to see hope that the fundamental nature of society will become less sexist, and more inclusive.

Feminist approaches to moral questions

One thing which may not be totally clear at this point, is that feminist ethics is not just about women - it is about all people in society. The feminist critique of patriarchal ethics is not just an analysis of how women have been oppressed by men, but is the basis for considering how every 'minority group' has been oppressed and why. As such, feminist ethics is seeking nothing short of a moral revolution.

'Minority groups' would include non-whites, the poor, non-heterosexuals etc.

A large part of how feminists approach moral questions, is to do with considering issues from the perspective of 'the other'. For instance, in the case of abortion (discussed below), feminists begin by reflecting on what should be an appropriate response to this matter, from the perspective of what it means to be a women (rather than from any social, cultural or religious tradition, which are patriarchal institutions anyway). In doing so, they are making the statement that the 'traditional' view of things is wrong.

Feminists also claim the right to utilise insights from what it means to be a women, and use these to fund appropriate responses to moral questions. For instance, nurture, community and friendship may also be seen to be appropriate means by which to decide the nature of what is 'right' or 'wrong', rather than simply logic or reason.

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Applied ethics: On the matter of abortion (some feminist insights)

The matter of abortion is a 'hot-topic' for feminists as it largely concerns a woman's right to make her own choices, which men (or a patriarchal system) might not agree with (particularly those in religious authority), and how others view her role in society (i.e. whether a women should be a mother or not).

It is important to remember that if we agree that society has been shaped and formed by men and for men, then so has our attitude towards medical issues.

For a long time abortions were a potentially fatal procedure for women to undergo. However, with the rise of modern technology and advanced medical procedures, abortions can now be performed relatively easily and more safely than ever before. Yet these advances in modern medicine have also led to an increase in the oppression and suffering of women, for when having an abortion was a potentially life-threatening decision, a women's choices were somewhat limited (either she had a the child, or risked dying in the process of terminating the pregnancy). With women now having greater freedom to choose whether to terminate a pregnancy or not, their angst about such a decision has naturally increased. Of course, we should not underestimate the fact that modern technology has also empowered women; allowing them a greater say in their role as mother, and what they want to happen to their own body.

Many feminists would argue that parents should be the ones who make the choice about the matter of having and raising children, not those who have no intimate role in this. With this in mind, feminists tend to place the decision about child-bearing into a social context; arguing that those who will be responsible for raising a child have the right to make decisions about childbearing.

'Only those who are deeply realistic about what it takes to nourish human life from birth onward have the wisdom to evaluate procreative choice.' (Margaret A Farley quoted in Feminist Theological Ethics: A Reader, Westminster John Knox)

Of course, a patriarchal society wants to deny women the right to do this, especially when they propagate certain social, medical and religious views as being 'normal' (or true). This is an understandable thing for men in power to do, as they naturally stress the importance of the public sphere of life (something that feminists (as we have seen) are keen to challenge).

Picture of human fetus So it seems natural to think that feminists would be in favour of abortion, and that this decision empowers women in the process. Yet we should recall that the feminist's agenda is not so much about raising the status of women, but developing a more inclusive approach to our view of society (particularly by including the so-called excluded minorities). The irony here is that a woman deciding to have an abortion on the grounds that their child is physically or mentally disabled, is not promoting the idea of equality, inclusion or tolerance here. Instead, they are excluding this child from having the opportunity to live.

All this goes to show that the matter of abortion is not easily resolved simply by referring to a fixed set of rules or body of 'truth' (either legal or religious), to determine what women should do. Life and the people who live it, are far more complex than that!

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