The Audacity of Listening with Carol Gilligan 2025 Kyoto Prize Laureate in Arts and Philosophy

Carol Gilligan, professor at New York University, received the Kyoto Prize in Arts and Philosophy, specifically in the field of Thought and Ethics, for pioneering a new horizon for the “ethic of care” while pointing out the distortions and limitations of conventional psychological theories pertaining to women’s thoughts and behaviors. By offering research-based insights into women’s moral reasoning, especially in contrast to men’s moral reasoning, Gilligan showed how women are more likely than men to prioritize human connections and seek solutions that preserve relationships. She called this relationship-oriented reasoning the “ethic of care” and contrasted it with the “ethic of justice,” which often entails imposing universal principles or rights, even forcefully, to resolve conflict. Gilligan does not merely contrast these differently positioned ethical frameworks; rather her life work has been deeply concerned with an enmeshment of the two for a more fully realized understanding of human maturity and development. Her work offers a new academic foundation for addressing global societal challenges like women’s empowerment and the welfare of the elderly and disabled. Series: "Kyoto Prize Symposium" [Humanities] [Show ID: 41118]