Feminist Moral Theory (FMT)

• not a particular moral theory (as we have defined “moral theory”)
• the attempt to expose what feminists regard as certain shortcomings in traditional moral theories (e.g., utilitarianism, Kant’s moral theory) and to suggest corrections

Feminist Moral Theory is needed because--

• we live in sexist societies that fail to appreciate adequately the
  moral insights of women
• traditional moral theories neglect “the regions of experiencethat have been central to women's moral experience" (p. 92)
• there is empirical evidence that there are differences betweemen and women with respect to morality
• we need “to make the moral claim that the experience of womeis of equal importance to the experience of men, and even moreimportant, that women themselves are of equal moral worth ashuman beings.” (p. 92)

Shortcomings of traditional moral theories (according to FMT):

• the failure to take into account the “moral experience” of women
• over-emphasis on economic and political relationships among rational, autonomous individuals and the under-emphasis of other kinds of inter-personal relationships (e.g., the mother-
  child relationship)
• the (false) assumption that all of our moral obligations can be captured in a small number of abstract, universal principles
• the failure to give adequate recognition to the role of feelings in morality and the over-emphasis of reason as the way to arrive at moral judgments

“moral experience” -

“ ‘the experience of consciously choosing, of voluntarily accepting or rejecting, of willingly approving or disapproving, of living with these choices, and above all, of acting and of living with these actions and their outcomes. . . . Action is as much a part of experience as is
perception.’ ” (p. 91)

According to Held, one important aspect of women’s moral experience that is not adequately appreciated in traditional moral theories is

• The caring that is part of (most) mothers’ relationships with their children is not part of (most) men’s moral experience and therefore is not given adequate recognition in traditional moral
  theories (which have been developed mainly by men).
• The moral insights afforded by caring relationships, such as those between mothers and children, cannot be captured in abstract, universal moral principles.
• The moral experience of women, and the kinds of interpersonal relationships that mainly involve women, are at least as important to morality as the economic and political
  relationships emphasized by traditional moral theories.
• The mother-child relationship may be a better model for “social trust” than the individualistic, contractual relationships that are emphasized by traditional moral theories.