Feminine Ethics

"Well, children, where there is so much racket there must be something out of kilter. I think that 'twixt the negroes of the South and the women at the North, all talking about rights, the white men will be in a fix pretty soon. But what's all this here talking about?

That man over there says that women need to be helped into carriages, and lifted over ditches, and to have the best place everywhere. Nobody ever helps me into carriages, or over mud-puddles, or gives me any best place! And ain't I a woman? Look at me! Look at my arm! I have ploughed and planted, and gathered into barns, and no man could head me! And ain't I a woman? I could work as much and eat as much as a man - when I could get it - and bear the lash as well! And ain't I a woman? I have borne thirteen children, and seen most all sold off to slavery, and when I cried out with my mother's grief, none but Jesus heard me! And ain't I a woman?

Then they talk about this thing in the head; what's this they call it? [member of audience whispers, "intellect"] That's it, honey. What's that got to do with women's rights or negroes' rights? If my cup won't hold but a pint, and yours holds a quart, wouldn't you be mean not to let me have my little half measure full?

Then that little man in black there, he says women can't have as much rights as men, 'cause Christ wasn't a woman! Where did your Christ come from? Where did your Christ come from? From God and a woman! Man had nothing to do with Him.

If the first woman God ever made was strong enough to turn the world upside down all alone, these women together ought to be able to turn it back , and get it right side up again! And now they is asking to do it, the men better let them.

Obliged to you for hearing me, and now old Sojourner ain't got nothing more to say.''  Sojourner Truth (1851)

Feminist ethic is the attempt to rethink aspects of traditional western ethics that devalue women's moral experience. These ethics are failing women in five basic ways.
1) Does not show equal concerns toward female issues that they show towards men issues

2) Traditional Ethics view the issues of the "private world" such as homemaking, and caring for the young, sick and elderly as unimportant

3) Women are not as morally developed as men.

4) Traditional methods underrates feminine traits  like interdependence, community, connection, sharing emotion, body, trust, absence of hierarchy, nature, immanence, process joy, peace, and life

5) Favors "male" ways of moral reasoning such as rules, right, universality, and impartiality over "female" ways of moral reasoning that emphasizes relationship, responsibilities, particularity, and partiality   

A large component of feminist ethics is about caring. For universal equality both sexes must be able to care for each other in a reciprocal way. One sex can not live to serve another. Sheila Mullet states

"A woman is not in a position to truly care for someone if she is economically, socially, and/or psychologically forced to do so. Specifically, authentic caring cannot occur under conditions characterized by male domination and female subordination. Only if women are fully equal to men, can women care for men without fearing that men will take advantage of their loving acts, feeling no need to reciprocate them. So long as women do more than their fair share of caregiving work, both sexes will remain morally deprived."

 Learning to care for yourself is important to contributing to society and helping others grow. A society can not be moral if half of it's citizens are disadvantaged.