Feminist Contentions: A Philosophical Exchange

Thinking Gender

by Seyla Benhabib

This unique volume presents a debate between four of the top feminist theorists in the US today, discussing the key questions facing contemporary feminist theory, responding to each other, and distinguishing their views from others.

Genres: Feminism, Philosophy, Theory, Nonfiction, Feminist Theory, Gender, Gender and Sexuality

182 pages, Paperback

First published December 14, 1994

About the author

Seyla Benhabib is a Turkish Jewish professor of political science and philosophy at Yale, and director of the program in Ethics, Politics, and Economics, and a well-known contemporary philosopher. She previously taught in the departments of philosophy at Boston University, SUNY Stony Brook, the New School for Social Research, and the Department of Government at Harvard University.

She is the author of several books, most notably about the philosophers Hannah Arendt and Jürgen Habermas. She has also worked with many important philosophers and scholars, including Herbert Marcuse. Benhabib is well known for combining critical theory with feminist theory.

Reviews

[Shane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting structure where four theorists give papers on the overlap between feminism and postmodernism, then respond to one another through criticism and adaptation of theories. Some excellent presentation on the difficulties of retaining a 'female' perspective in a society where identity is individualistic; competing opinions from psychology (Cornell) to philosophy (Butler) to social theory (Benhabib) that come together in the chapters of criticism. Difficult to read (some jargon, and some heavy theory) but worth the time.

[Hilo · Rating 1 out of 5]

Geht generell darum, was kann der Feminismus mit der Postmoderne anfangen. Aber mehr als ,,Kritik braucht feste Kriterien"(Benhabib), ,,Wir müssen die Kriterien der Kritik selber hinterfragen"(Butler) ,,Phallusse!" (Cornell) und ,,Wir müssen das alles pragmatisch angehen"(Fraser) konnte ich nicht daraus mitnehmen. Die Texte sind unglaublich schwer lesbar, nahezu rätselhaft, v.a. von Cornell.

[Kadri]

dnf'isin kuskil kolmandiku peal. ma ei suuda uskuda, et ma seda praegu ütlen, aga minu maitse jaoks liiga palju filosoofiat ja liiga vähe päris elu. filosoofiline mõttevahetus on tore, aga selle võiks kuidagi reaalse olukorraga ka ikka siduda

[Kathleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this again recently. Great example of the debate among contemporary feminist theorists as to whether feminism can accept postmodern/poststructuralist notions of the self and politics.
Judith Butler owns it in this one. Such a fun read.

[Ingeborg · Rating 5 out of 5]

Serious and important!

I especially like the question Nancy Fraser poses: "Can we construct practices, institutions and forms of life in which the empowerment of some does not entail the disempowerment of others? If not, what is the point of feminist struggle?"