Carol Gilligan

The Ethics of Care and Relational Reasoning

Carol Gilligan (1936 - Present) is a highly influential developmental psychologist best known for her groundbreaking critique of Lawrence Kohlberg’s theory of moral development. While Kohlberg primarily focused on a “justice perspective” rooted in abstract principles and individual rights, Gilligan argued that this framework was largely derived from studies of male participants and might not adequately capture the moral reasoning of females. Her work introduced the concept of the “ethics of care,” proposing a distinct, yet equally valid, mode of moral thinking and problem-solving.

Gilligan’s central contribution is that moral development also progresses through an orientation towards relationship and care. She proposed that moral reasoning can develop along two distinct, though not mutually exclusive, paths:

The Justice Perspective: Focuses on fairness, rights, rules, and abstract principles. This is the mode of reasoning Kohlberg primarily identified, where moral dilemmas are seen as conflicts of rights to be resolved by impartial application of rules.
The Care Perspective: Focuses on responsibilities, relationships, interdependence, and the context of the situation. Moral dilemmas are seen as conflicts of responsibility, to be resolved by maintaining connection and alleviating suffering.

Gilligan’s research suggested that individuals, particularly women, often prioritize an ethics of care, which involves:

Responsibility and Relationships: Thinking about moral problems in terms of duties to others and the impact of decisions on concrete relationships.
Contextual Reasoning: Acknowledging the specific details and nuances of a situation, rather than relying solely on abstract rules.
Empathy and Connection: Prioritizing the needs and feelings of those involved, seeking to maintain harmony and alleviate harm.

While her initial work was often interpreted as a gender-based difference, Gilligan later clarified that these represent two distinct moral “voices” or “lenses” through which anyone might approach a dilemma, although socialized tendencies might lead to one being more dominant for certain groups.

Key Contributions of Gilligan’s Work:

Expanding Moral Development Theory: She profoundly broadened the understanding of moral reasoning beyond a single, justice-oriented hierarchy, revealing that there are multiple valid ways to construct and solve moral problems. This challenged the universality claims of some stage theories and opened the door for more pluralistic models of development.
Highlighting Relational Thinking: Her work brought significant attention to the developmental importance of relational thinking, empathy, and the construction of meaning within interpersonal contexts. This influenced not only moral psychology but also theories of self, identity, and social cognition.
Impact on Feminist Psychology and Education: Gilligan’s ideas spurred a vast body of research in feminist psychology and had a considerable impact on educational approaches, advocating for curricula that foster both justice and care perspectives in moral education.

In essence, Carol Gilligan’s work fundamentally enriched the field of cognitive development by demonstrating that the mental structures and reasoning processes involved in moral judgment are more complex and diverse than previously understood. She highlighted how individuals construct meaning and reason about problems through different, equally valid, ethical frameworks, profoundly influencing our understanding of human moral thought.