Feminist and Virtue theory - Essay Example

Feminist and Virtue Theory Feminist ethics is considered a kind of virtue ethics which focus on the virtue of caring, compassion, and sensitivity – qualities stereotypically associated with women. Feminist ethics of care emphasized moral responsibility and right actions in reciprocity(Tittle, 45). The virtue theory which originated from Aristotle defines theories of the right and the good and what a person ought to do in order to build character and cultivate an ethical life (Preston, 49). According to Aristotle, there are four standard virtues of the ancient Greeks, namely: justice, temperance, courage and wisdom.

In 2007, Preston delineated the advantages or usefulness of virtue theory. Virtue theory has put emphasis on character-building which can be useful in everyday morality. It is also applied to the ethic of role and professional ethics, checks other cognitive style approaches to allow a place for feelings, roles, and relationships of ethic of care, serves as a tool in core community values identification, and provides basis for cultivating virtues and moral education among the youth. The relationship between virtue theory and feminist ethics has been identified.

Now that we have understood virtue theory, let us have a specific view of feminist ethics which had gain popularity during the time of Carol Gilligan. Gilligan differentiate the social formation and role among men and women. She stated that men have abstract thinking which sees moral problems arising from conflicts and solves it by appealing to the rights of the individual. On the other hand, women focus on specific situation, seeing moral problems arising from the needs in relationships and solve it through moral obligation and appealing the rights of others(Preston, 47).

With these differences, feminist ethics point out the core values of ethics of care – care, compassion, and relationships, the qualities often associated with women.But women often suffered from gender inequality issues, the reason why feministethicists emphasize justice and equality among sexes. Works Cited Preston, Noel. Understanding Ethics. Sydney: The Federation Press, 2007. p. 35-58. Print. Tittle, Peg. Ethical Issues in Business: Inquiries, Cases, and Readings. Ontario: Broadview Press Ltd., 2000. p. 44-45. Print.