Ethics: Classical Western Texts in Feminist and Multicultural Perspectives

by James P. Sterba (Editor)

Classical Western Texts in Feminist and Multicultural Perspectives offers students a unique introduction to ethics by integrating the historical development of Western moral philosophy with both feminist and multicultural approaches. Engaging and accessible, it provides an introductory sampling of several of the classical works of the Western tradition in ethics and then situates these readings within feminist and multicultural perspectives so that they can be better understood and evaluated in our contemporary environment. While some of the non-Western works parallel the views defended in the Western works (e.g., Confucius's work echoes that of Plato or Aristotle), others question the Western perspectives (e.g., American Indian works provide an interesting challenge to Western moral philosophy). Confucius, Jorge Valadez, Ward Churchill, Moshoeshoe II, and Eagle Man present multicultural perspectives to the works of Plato, Aristotle, Hume, Kant, Nietzsche, Sartre, Rawls,
MacIntyre, Korsgaard, and others. Noted feminists Christine de Pizan, Simone de Beauvoir, Carol Gilligan, Annette Baier, Susan Okin, and Rosemarie Radford Ruether also offer alternative views. Ideal for courses in introduction to ethics, history of ethics, and feminist ethics, Classical Western Texts in Feminist and Multicultural Perspectives is also intriguing reading for interested general readers.

Genres: Philosophy

576 pages, Paperback

First published December 16, 1999

Reviews

[James Foster II · Rating 5 out of 5]

This anthology changed my life perspective by offering complimentary and contrasting feminist and multicultural moral philosophies to classical western texts arranged chronologically. It offers a good critique of moral relativism in the introduction, and Mr. Sterba presents his defense of morality by suggesting that the moral theory of women is conspicuously absent from the Western philosophical tradition. He does this after presenting feminist arguments throughout the book, and just after the section containing Carol Gilligan's work. Sterba's argument is cogent, and devastating to egoism.

[David Withun · Rating 4 out of 5]

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[Dan DalMonte · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sterba provides an interesting compilation in which he selects a classic text in ethics, and then juxtaposes with it a feminist and multicultural critique. Clearly, some of the great thinkers of the Western tradition had blindspots with respect to women and minorities. Sterba proposes at the end of the book that we have to incorporate these perspectives to create a new ethical synthesis that surpasses our Western tradition. But I still think there is a lot of great value in the great thinkers of the past. I think some of their ideas simply need to be tweaked in order to accommodate non-white and non-male individuals. Sterba calls for a revolution and a transcendence, but it seems like some of the feminist and multicultural perspectives cancelled out the value and merit in the great traditional texts. I worry that students are so well-versed in the politics of feminism and multiculturalism that this sort of juxtaposition might cause them to immediately dismiss thinkers like Kant, Aristotle, or Aquinas, instead of cherishing their great insights. I did appreciate the work of Carol Gilligan on the need to include a care perspective in ethics.