Women Want in a Moral Theory, Suggests Term Paper

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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 knowledge. Moreover, moral obligation forces the individual to place trust in authorities that might not be valid.

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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….....

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