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Woman and the History of Philosophy

Woman and the History of Philosophy
Author
ISBN
155778194X
Weight
2.00 lbs
Cover
Paper

Pages
174

Size
6x9

Date Available
1999/11/30


Index , Notes , Bibliography
Price:
$21.95 (21.95)
Qty

“... provides lucid, incisive, fully accessible feminist discussions of key figures in the history of western philosophy.... Indispensable for introducing undergraduates to gender issues in the history of philosophy.” –Susan Bordo, Le Moyne College

“This is a short gem of a book... Though focused on the duality of gender and the insights of recent feminist critiques, this balanced treatment never loses sight of the plural and diverse nature of women’s experiences or of all the potential exclusions of race, class, and sexuality found in the most influential philosophies in the curriculum.” –Lynda Lange, University of Toronto

“I have found Tuana’s text to be an invaluable component of my history of philosophy syllabi. There is no other text which supplies the breath, rigor and appropriate level of difficulty for General Education students, while providing a much-needed feminist component...” –Emanuela Bianchi, Visiting Scholar, University of California, Berkeley

Woman and the History of Philosophy is a systematic examination of the ways in which women and traits viewed as feminine are presented in the theories of major philosophers. Nancy Tuana provides a reading strategy that helps reveal the underlying patterns of gender, race, and class assumptions inherent in the central concepts of traditional Western philosophy.

Tuana’s analytic method addresses both the traditional philosophical view of the essential imperfection of woman’s rational and moral capacities and its corollary that therefore woman and man have different roles to play in civilization. By reading how the theories of Plato, Aristotle, Descartes, Rousseau, Kant, Hume, Locke, and Hegel denigrate or exclude the experience and validity of woman, students learn to read critically, to evaluate assumptions, and to assess the context of philosophical writing.

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Preface
1. Reading Philosophy as a Woman
2. The Second Sex
Fallen Souls: Plato
Mutilated Men: Aristotle
3. The Maleness of Reason
The Opposition of Reason and Emotion: Descartes
The Marriage of Reason and Emotion: Rousseau
4. (A)Moral Woman
The Morality of Reason: Kant
The Morality of Emotions: Hume
5. The Privatized Woman
The Force of Prejudice: Locke
The Paradox of Woman: Hegel
Epilogue: The Challenge of Feminism
Notes
Bibliography
Index

NANCY TUANA, Ph.D., is Associate Professor in the History of Ideas at the University of Texas, Dallas. She has written widely on the subject of woman in philosophy. Her books include Misbegotten Man: Scientific, Religious, and Philosophical Conceptions of Woman’s Nature (Indiana University Press) and Feminism and Philosophy: Essential Readings in Theory, Reinterpretation, and Application (Paragon House). Dr. Tuana is also the editor of the APA Newsletter on Philosophy and Feminism.