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Reviewed by:
  • Recent Contributions to Feminist Ethics
  • Julia J. Aaron (bio)
Recent Contributions to Feminist Ethics: A Review of Feminist Perspectives on Ethics by Elizabeth Porter. Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Pearson Education, 1999); Three Challenges to Ethics by James Sterba. New York: Oxford University Press, 2001; and Discourse and Knowledge by Janna Thompson. New York: Routledge, 1998.

Although each of these short books includes some discussion of feminist ethics, the treatment of the topic varies greatly among them. Elizabeth Porter's book, Feminist Perspectives on Ethics (1999), contains an extensive discussion of feminist ethics in general and also focuses on the topics of intimate relationships, ethics in professions, politics, sexual politics, abortion, and reproductive choices. James Sterba's book, Three Challenges to Ethics (2001), offers a critique of traditional ethical theory with one chapter devoted to a discussion of feminism as a challenge to traditional ethics. He claims that traditional ethics has not paid attention to the claim of feminist ethics that masculine bias is found within the traditional (1). In particular, feminist ethics has offered insight into eliminating the masculine bias found within the tradition. Janna Thompson's book, Discourse and Knowledge (1998), has a focus quite different from the other two. She offers a version of a universal ethical theory that contains some elements of a feminist approach to ethics. Since these three works do not have a lot in common, I would like to point out the major features of each of them while drawing the few connections that can be made.

There are more similarities between Porter's and Sterba's books. Both are well suited for classroom use because they do not require extensive knowledge of ethical theory. In fact, the first four chapters of Sterba's book do not assume prior knowledge of ethics at all. Instead, he explains the basic aspects of each of the theories or positions mentioned in each chapter. Thus, his work would be appropriate to use as an introductory-level text. Porter's book could be used at the introductory level as well, but it is also suitable for more advanced courses. For each chapter, the key terms are in bold type and the book includes an outline, summary, case studies, and a list of suggested readings. One advantage of this book is that it is very comprehensive. The reviews of positions, such as the ethics of care, include not only those feminists typically a part of discussions of these views, but also some voices not as regularly heard in the literature. This makes the book as valuable a resource for individuals already well versed in feminist ethics as it is for those unfamiliar with the field.

Unlike the other two, Elizabeth Porter's book focuses exclusively on feminist ethics. I was particularly impressed by it. One of the most interesting aspects of Porter's work is that each of the chapters involves a thorough discussion of the topic and is written in a manner both accessible and very informative. [End Page 201] In fact, the book is a work of art. Porter has seamlessly integrated various feminist theories and positions in a manner rarely seen. Even though she offers several perspectives from many different feminist writers, the book reads smoothly. In other words, Porter does not make the common mistake of simply listing an author and stating what that author says. Instead, each reference is part of an integrated discussion of the topic at hand and each chapter addresses a specific feminist topic with insight and some suggestions for new approaches or perspectives.

In general, Porter points out three central features to feminist ethics. Any ethics that claims to be feminist must, she says, begin in the rich variations of women's lives; analyze traditional ethics, both for its implications for women and for its exclusion of women; and propose alternatives (ix-x). Despite the brevity of the book, Porter has included all three of these features in the chapters of her book that include a number of women's perspectives on a wide variety of topics such as theoretical work, case studies, and Porter's own description of the issues. Additionally, she criticizes and analyzes traditional...

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