The Need for More than Justice [1987]

Gilligan in her book did tend to link the naturalness to women of the care perspective with their role as primary care-takers of young children, that is with their parental and specifically maternal role. For the moral tradition which developed the concept of rights, autonomy and justice is the same tradition that provided 'justifications' of the oppression of those whom the primary right-holders depended on to do the sort of work they themselves preferred not to do. The 'justice perspective', and the legal sense that goes with it, are shadowed by their patriarchal past. The best moral theory has to be a cooperative product of women and men, has to harmonize justice and care. Laurence Thomas makes a strong case for the importance of supplementing a concern for justice and respect for rights with an emphasis on equally needed virtues, and on virtues seen as appropriate emotional as well as rational capacities.