Carol Gilligan (/ˈɡɪlɪɡən/; born November 28, 1936) is an American feminist, ethicist, and psychologist best known for her work on ethical community and ethical relationships, and certain subject-object problems in ethics.

She is a professor at New York University and a visiting professor at the University of Cambridge. She is teaching as a visiting professor at New York University, Abu Dhabi. She is best known for her 1982 work, In a Different Voice. Her work has been credited with inspiring the passage of the 1994 Gender Equity in Education Act.

In 1996, Time magazine listed her among America's 25 most influential people. She is the founder of ethics of care.