Question

We have seen that there is a criticism that philosophical ethics is male-centric. Seeing that girls tested lower than boys on Kohlberg's child morality test seems to be an indication that it is.

Do you think males and females see and respond to morality differently? If so, why and what is then implied as far as moral objectivity is concerned? If not, why did the girls score lower than the boys on Kohlberg's test?

Answer 1

Do you think males and females see and respond to morality differently? If so, why and what is then implied as far as moral objectivity is concerned? If not, why did the girls score lower than the boys on Kohlberg's test?

Yes, males and females see and respond to morality in a bit different manner (only at basic level, morality is same for both genders).

Following are the reasons and implications as far as moral objectivity of male and females is concerned:

For males, advanced moral thought revolves around rules, rights, and abstract principles. The ideal is formal justice, in which all parties evaluate one another's claims in an impartial manner. This conception of morality is different than that of females.

For women, morality centers not on rights and rules but on interpersonal relationships and the ethics of compassion and care. The ideal is not impersonal justice but more affiliative ways of living. Women's morality, in addition, is more contextualized, it is tied to real, ongoing relationships rather than abstract solutions to hypothetical dilemmas.

Because of these sex differences, men and women frequently score at different stages on Kohlberg's scale. Women typically score at stage 3, with its focus on interpersonal feelings, whereas men more commonly score at stages 4 and 5, which reflect more abstract conceptions of social organization. Thus, women score lower than men.

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