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Gyn/Ecology: The Metaethics of Radical Feminism
by
This revised edition includes a New Intergalactic Introduction by the Author.
Mary Daly's New Intergalactic Introduction explores her process as a Crafty Pirate on the Journey of Writing Gyn/Ecology and reveals the autobiographical context of this "Thunderbolt of Rage" that she first hurled against the patriarchs in 1979 and no hurls again in the Re-Surging Movement of Radical ...more
Mary Daly's New Intergalactic Introduction explores her process as a Crafty Pirate on the Journey of Writing Gyn/Ecology and reveals the autobiographical context of this "Thunderbolt of Rage" that she first hurled against the patriarchs in 1979 and no hurls again in the Re-Surging Movement of Radical ...more
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Paperback, 544 pages
Published
November 12th 1990
by Beacon Press
(first published 1978)
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Community Reviews
Showing 1-30
May 02, 2008
Tony duncan
rated it
it was amazing
Recommends it for:
any true feminist
Shelves:
politics
This book really got me off my ass about feminism. it was the most extreme analysis I had ever read about the oppression of woman. It is this type of thinking that I think helped fuel the backlash against feminism. NOT because it was wrong ( though I think some things were exaggerated or not quite true) but because it so accurately reflect how deep the psychological underpinnings of patriarchy operate. And how most woman, who swear they are feminist are unaware of behaviors and attitudes that re
...more
While Daly has some fascinating, excellent commentary on religion, patriarchy, and the religion of patriarchy--I cannot get over how nauseatingly transphobic this text is. It is worth reading, I think; it's valuable from a feminist perspective, but it is firmly stuck in the nastiest part of the second wave. It's a constant, awful, nasty thread running through the entire text that "transsexuals" (as she refers to transgender people) are the enemies of women, are not women, and are the tools of pa
...more
I would give this 4.5 if I could. I found the first chapters a bit confusing and weird, but perhaps I should read them again now I've got used to the language and the method of analysis.
Daly looks at repeating trends and patterns in patriarchal myths and practices across the world, which is radical in every sense. I have often found that much of modern feminism lacks a broad systemic analysis, probably because they are so afraid of being like those second wavers who oppress everybody with their ...more
Daly looks at repeating trends and patterns in patriarchal myths and practices across the world, which is radical in every sense. I have often found that much of modern feminism lacks a broad systemic analysis, probably because they are so afraid of being like those second wavers who oppress everybody with their ...more
I don't write a lot of reviews but upon reading some others here, I want to add my voice.
I see a lot of people dismissing Mary Daly because they don't agree with her on one point or another. I find this somewhat tragic. She has written here a very important book for feminism that introduced me to some very clarifying concepts I had not previously encountered. She brings it all together so we can see the common ties between as disparate phenomena as FGM in Africa, foot-binding in China, wit ...more
I see a lot of people dismissing Mary Daly because they don't agree with her on one point or another. I find this somewhat tragic. She has written here a very important book for feminism that introduced me to some very clarifying concepts I had not previously encountered. She brings it all together so we can see the common ties between as disparate phenomena as FGM in Africa, foot-binding in China, wit ...more
Every man needs to read this book if they want to be an ally to woman. This is a difficult read, and men will get very defensive unless they realize that this is statement about the patriarchy rather than an individual; however, just the way our male body is less vulnerable than that of a woman, and has been all throughout time, and that we are physically larger and stronger, "we" have oppressed woman, we have raped, we have disfigured and we, in the form of patriarchy have defined femininity. W
...more
Spinsters spin all ways, always.
The section on the skin-crawling origin of the gynecological medical specialty alone is worth the price of the book. Daly's unvarnished and very angry ruminations on patriarchy are very thought-provoking. Casually picking this book up was my introduction to radical feminist thought, and it was like jumping in the deep end for me.
Basically, the BEST book on radical feminism ever written
LJ user recognitions:
Okay, I know. Daly was problematic in a million different ways. She was often dismissive of WOC, she was downright contemptuous of trans women and men, and she didn't have much use for the cis brand of men either. Add to that her own idiosyncratic, too-cute-by-half idiomatic language, heavily leaning on wordplay, and it's enough to daunt anyone. But Gyn/Ecology, when you get past all the nonsense, does such a good job looking at the oppressive nature of the patriarchy in many di ...more
Okay, I know. Daly was problematic in a million different ways. She was often dismissive of WOC, she was downright contemptuous of trans women and men, and she didn't have much use for the cis brand of men either. Add to that her own idiosyncratic, too-cute-by-half idiomatic language, heavily leaning on wordplay, and it's enough to daunt anyone. But Gyn/Ecology, when you get past all the nonsense, does such a good job looking at the oppressive nature of the patriarchy in many di ...more
In defense of Mary Daly: I love Gyn/Ecology even if Audre Lorde doesn't. I love Daly's insistence on di-secting words in order to draw out their meanings (some may find it gimmicky). The rest of her published works don't interest me the way Gyn/Ecology does, but I think Ms. Daly is genius. More feminists should read her even if her brand of feminism is out of style.
radical feminist theory at its finest
This is a compelling and lyrical book. Daly's Gyn/Ecology exposes the insidious beliefs and "customs" of global patriarchy. Daly dives into explorations of misogynist language (and in doing so, manages to give a wag-of-the-finger to Chomsky--a very cool accomplishment in its own right.) She reveals ingenious and insightful woman-centric ways of living, thinking, and existing in this world.
The weaknesses in Daly's work include a nasty bit of transphobia, an unabashed tendency to speak ...more
The weaknesses in Daly's work include a nasty bit of transphobia, an unabashed tendency to speak ...more
Through her writing, Mary Daly mothers those of us whose birth mothers, swallowed by patriarchal religions, eeked out depressed lives. Even today, such forces dogmatically shame and subjugate.
Daly examines the manner in which sexist vocabulary shapes injustice which is then rationalized, glossed over or minimized. Gross inequality will continue as long as ignorance naps in the arms of false guarantees and dishonest protection. Thank you, mother Mary!
Eleanor Cowan, author of : A Histo ...more
Daly examines the manner in which sexist vocabulary shapes injustice which is then rationalized, glossed over or minimized. Gross inequality will continue as long as ignorance naps in the arms of false guarantees and dishonest protection. Thank you, mother Mary!
Eleanor Cowan, author of : A Histo ...more
"Gyn/Ecology is about women living, loving, creating our Selves, our cosmos. It is dis-possessing our Selves, inspiriting our Selves, hearing the call of the wild, naming our wisdom, spinning and weaving world tapestries out of genesis and demise. In contrast to gynecology, which depends on fixation and dismemberment, Gyn/Ecology affirms that everything is connected."
Must read for any feminist - or anyone who has a daughter. From witches to foot binding to female genital mutilation - and for everyone who thinks women do it to and/or for themselves - we have NEVER set the bar by which we are judged.
I read this book in my 30's and found Daly's unravelling of Patriarchy a huge eye opener. Her outrage and imagination are unmatched in anything else I've read and were positively refreshing. I feel feminist theory is like a banquet - choose from all the food groups for the best nutrition and be as daring as possible in your tastes if you want to do more than survive - to thrill your pallet. What I've eaten at Daly's banquet has continued to serve me well. Here's Daly's Radical Feminism served up
...more
Feb 23, 2010
Erik Graff
rated it
it was ok
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
feminists
Recommended to Erik by:
Karen Engdahl
Shelves:
philosophy
I read this immediately upon finishing Daly's Beyond God the Father. It was more difficult and less enjoyable. One difficulty was that she no longer appeared to be addressing me, but only females. My desire is to transcend gender in the sense of approaching an ability to embrace and identify with all possible genderings, not to get into my "maleness" as natively distinct from an antithetical "femaleness". Daly seems to buy into the scheme that there is a real ontological difference and then to c
...more
Some of the best writing I've ever read. Daly's project here is incredibly central and important for feminism. I am very, very impressed by her writing style--completely apart from the political implications of the work. An explosive attempt at the radical phenomeno-hermeneutical liberation of women. An overall important supplement to any modern work on phenomenological ontology.
An unbelievable voyage into the passage of women's energy and natural knowing
Complicated and thought-provoking. I enjoy this book for it's willingness to not play nice; to name misogyny and show the extent of patriarchy. In addition to what others have wisely pointed out (her problematic notions on race and transexualism), I find her theory at time too, well, theoretical. This book certainly has me thinking, and I thank it for that. But, too often I find myself at the end of a chapter wanting her to be more pragmatic. Radical theory is fantastic for starting fantastic ne
...more
Maybe this book is somewhat dated now, and somewhat tainted by Daly's overlong plenary address at the American Academy of Religions conference in 1991 or 1992, in which she stole time from the Black feminists who were to follow her, and debunked her essentialism with her whiteness. But when I read it, I suffered under the permanent change it was effecting in me. It really threw me for a loop.
Very (white) Second Wave (in the worst ways)--transphobic, white supremacist, etc.
But some critiques of civic/imperial Christianity hold up.
But some critiques of civic/imperial Christianity hold up.
Daly is exceptionally creative. I used some of her methods to sustain my own creative work in my dissertation.
Aug 09, 2012
Allison
added it
Probably read this in 2005.
This book gave me a tremendous headache, but it's never boring. Daly offers a lot of ideas that some might find outrageous; there's plenty to argue about here.
It is *incredibly* refreshing to read a woman who has a strong, idiosyncratic (one might even say crackpot and megalomaniac) voice. I breathe easier when I read all those capital letters and invented words. It is *wonderful* to see someone of my own sex who has invented her own system and her own style and is in no doubt as to its importance.
It is also wonderful to see someone who takes patriarchy as a problem of primary importance -- not just in "women's issues" but in all social re ...more
It is also wonderful to see someone who takes patriarchy as a problem of primary importance -- not just in "women's issues" but in all social re ...more
Seriously hard to endorse this one...
On the one hand, it was clearly really significant and influential, and there's a lot of interesting stuff in here that I'm excited to integrate into my own practice. And then on the other you have the fact that at its core this is some prime nauseating Second-Wave Feminist trans hatred.
Gotta love trying to dig into something that on the surface seemed like exactly what I'd been looking for, only to make it about 50 pages in before being directly compa ...more
On the one hand, it was clearly really significant and influential, and there's a lot of interesting stuff in here that I'm excited to integrate into my own practice. And then on the other you have the fact that at its core this is some prime nauseating Second-Wave Feminist trans hatred.
Gotta love trying to dig into something that on the surface seemed like exactly what I'd been looking for, only to make it about 50 pages in before being directly compa ...more
What a book! Haha. Um. I'm glad that I made my way through the entirety of this radical feminist classic, but the difficulty level is such that I wouldn't recommend it to others.
A real eye-opener to say the least! It's thought-provoking and inspirational. I don't think I'll be able to NOT read between the lines ever again. Thank you, Mary! The only downside for me was that Mary Daly clearly dislikes ALL males. I understand her point of view, but feel that she's being really quite unfair here. Having an X and a Y chromosome doesn't make a man an evil oppressor. There are many truly gentle men out there whose biased views of women isn't their fault any more than it is our
...more
First of all, I am a radical feminist, so this book appealed to me greatly at first glance. However, I found it to be highly far-fetched and cryptic. Daly infused the book with her own made-up language, supposedly toying with grammar and linguistics for intellectual purpose - but the narrative came off as convoluted and difficult to follow.
Also, she only addressed a minimal amount of actual feminist issues - such as female genital mutilation and the disproportionate amount of men in the gynecol ...more
Also, she only addressed a minimal amount of actual feminist issues - such as female genital mutilation and the disproportionate amount of men in the gynecol ...more
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Mary Daly was an American radical feminist philosopher, academic, and theologian. Daly, who described herself as a "radical lesbian feminist", taught at Boston College, a Jesuit-run institution, for 33 years. Daly consented to retire from Boston College in 1999, after violating university policy by refusing to allow male students in her advanced women's studies classes. She allowed male students i
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“Every woman who has come to consciousness can recall an almost endless series of oppressive, violating, insulting, assaulting acts against her Self. Every woman is battered by such assaults - is on a psychic level, a battered woman.”
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“Originally, it was believed that witches possessed the power of glamour and according to the authors of the Malleus Maleficarum, witches by their glamour could cause the male 'member' to disappear. In modern usage, this meaning has almost disappeared into the background and the power of the term is masked and suffocated by such foreground images as those associated with glamour magazine.”
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