Feminist Amnesia: The Wake of Women's Liberation

ISBN-13: 9780415148061 / Angielski / Twarda / 1997 / 216 str.

Jean Curthoys

Opis

Feminist Amnesia is an important challenge to contemporary academic feminism. Jean Curthoys argues that the intellectual decline of university arts education and the loss of a deep moral commitment in feminism are related phenomena. The contradiction set up by the radical ideas of the 1960s, and institutionalised life of many of its protagonists in the academy has produced a special kind of intellectual distortion.
This book criticises current trends in feminist theory from the perspective of forgotten and allegedly outdated feminist ideas. Jean Curthroys show that much contemporary feminist theory, like much of today's radical thought, is muddled. The 'forgotten' theory of Women's Liberation was, she argues, deeply oppositional and moral. The repression of this theory has led to distortions, most notabley in the preoccupation with binary oppositions.
Jean Curthoys argues that where Women's Liberation was once radical, much of contemporary feminist thought hides behind obscurantism, and has become conservative and orthodox. These controversial ideas will be keenly debated by all those involved in womens's studies, feminist theory and moral philosophy.

Recenzje

'This forceful and impressive book surely goes to the root of what is wrong, not just with feminist theory but with important elements of 'postmodern' theorising generally. Read it!' - Mary Midgely

'A brave book, not only that, it is an important milestone in the struggle to restore the moral integrity of feminism, and the commitment to critical and disinterested inquiry which is so central to the academy.' - Book Notes

'Beautifully written.' - CITS Review

Spis treści

Introduction: The Losing of WisdomPart I: Liberation Theory 1. The Psychology of Power 2. The Getting of Wisdom, Postscript to Part IPart II: Dualisms, Confusions and Power 3. Feminism for Power: Dualisms and Confusions 4. The Genesis of the Dualisms CritiquePart III: Feminism and Deconstruction 5. The Criticism of Heaven versus the Criticism of Earth: Feminism and Deconstruction 6. Conclusion: A Different Divided Subject

O autorze

Jean Curthoys