Overview

More than sixty years ago, Simone de Beauvoir identified the importance of Maurice Merleau-Ponty's writings to feminist theory. His exploration of the relationship between the body and the space it inhabits is key to modern phenomenological thinking. But there has been little agreement on how Merleau-Ponty's ideas ultimately have an impact on feminist philosophy. Does his emphasis on physical subjectivity lend a certain agency to all bodies, regardless of sex? Or do Merleau-Ponty's specific descriptions of physical experience betray an intrinsic bias toward a male hetero-sexual point of view? The essays presented here by Olkowski and Weiss attempt to situate Merleau-Ponty in the larger context of feminist theory, while impartially evaluating his contributions, both positive and negative, to that theory. In addition to the editors, the contributors are Jorella Andrews, David Brubaker, Judith Butler, Laura Doyle, Helen Fielding, Vicki Kirby, Sonia Kruks, Ann Murphy, Johanna Oksala, and Beata Stawarska.

Full Product Details

Author:   Dorothea Olkowski ,  Gail Weiss
Publisher:   Pennsylvania State University Press
Imprint:   Pennsylvania State University Press
Edition:   Annotated edition
Dimensions:   Width: 15.20cm , Height: 1.80cm , Length: 22.90cm
Weight:   0.567kg
ISBN:  

9780271029177

ISBN 10:   027102917
Pages:   304
Publication Date:   17 October 2006
Audience:   College/higher education ,  Undergraduate
Format:   Hardback
Publisher's Status:   Active
Availability:   Awaiting stock  
The supplier is currently out of stock of this item. It will be ordered for you and placed on backorder. Once it does come back in stock, we will ship it out for you.

Table of Contents

ContentsPrefaceNancy TuanaIntroduction: The Situated SubjectDorothea Olkowski1. Merleau-Ponty and the Problem of Difference in FeminismSonia Kruks2. Only Nature Is Mother to the ChildDorothea Olkowski3. White Logic and the Constancy of ColorHelen Fielding4. The Concept of FleshBeata Stawarska5. Sexual Difference as a Question of Ethics: Alterities of the Flesh in Irigaray and Merleau-PontyJudith Butler6. Culpability and the Double Cross: Irigaray with Merleau-PontyVicky Kirby7. Urban FleshGail Weiss8. Vision, Violence, and the Other: A Merleau-Pontean EthicsJorella Andrews9. Bodies Inside/Out: Violation and Resistance from the Prison Cell to The Bluest EyeLaura Doyle10. Female Freedom: Can the Lived Body Be Emancipated?Johanna Oksala11. Care for the Flesh: Gilligan, Merleau-Ponty, and Corporeal StylesDavid Brubaker12. Language in the Flesh: The Disturbance of Discourse in Merleau-Ponty, Levinas, and IrigarayAnn MurphyBibliographyContributorsIndex

Reviews

Through many original and a few reprinted pieces, this collection demonstrates that there still remains much to explore and develop with and against Merleau-Ponty's corpus. Feminist Interpretations of Merleau-Ponty definitely provides much to think about and demonstrates, as Weiss writes, 'new ways of doing philosophy.' --Emily S. Lee, APA Newsletter This is both a necessary book and a very good one. That this volume is not the perfect feminist source on Merleau-Ponty is not a negative judgment, given that it is currently the best to be found. --Nancy J. Holland, Dialogue Exhibiting well the scope and diversity of feminist readings of Merleau-Ponty, the volume is an important contribution that will be of interest to theorists in many fields, while at the same time encouraging further specialized work in the area--something that may well benefit feminist philosophy, but will certainly enrich Merleau-Ponty studies. --Bryan Smyth, Philosophy in Review This work is an important addition for specialists, but not geared to undergraduates. --A. B. Curry, Choice

This work is an important addition for specialists, but not geared to undergraduates. A. B. Curry, Choice

This is both a necessary book and a very good one. That this volume is not the perfect feminist source on Merleau-Ponty is not a negative judgment, given that it is currently the best to be found. --Nancy J. Holland, Dialogue Through many original and a few reprinted pieces, this collection demonstrates that there still remains much to explore and develop with and against Merleau-Ponty's corpus. Feminist Interpretations of Merleau-Ponty definitely provides much to think about and demonstrates, as Weiss writes, 'new ways of doing philosophy.' --Emily S. Lee, APA Newsletter This work is an important addition for specialists, but not geared to undergraduates. --A. B. Curry, Choice Exhibiting well the scope and diversity of feminist readings of Merleau-Ponty, the volume is an important contribution that will be of interest to theorists in many fields, while at the same time encouraging further specialized work in the area--something that may well benefit feminist philosophy, but will certainly enrich Merleau-Ponty studies. --Bryan Smyth, Philosophy in Review

<p> This work is an important addition for specialists, but not geared to undergraduates. <p>--A. B. Curry, Choice

Through many original and a few reprinted pieces, this collection demonstrates that there still remains much to explore and develop with and against Merleau-Ponty's corpus. Feminist Interpretations of Merleau-Ponty definitely provides much to think about and demonstrates, as Weiss writes, 'new ways of doing philosophy.' --Emily S. Lee, APA Newsletter

This is both a necessary book and a very good one. That this volume is not the perfect feminist source on Merleau-Ponty is not a negative judgment, given that it is currently the best to be found. --Nancy J. Holland, Dialogue

Author Information

Dorothea Olkowski is Professor of Philosophy at the University of Colorado, Colorado Springs. Gail Weiss is Director of the Human Sciences Program and Assistant Professor of Philosophy at The George Washington University.

Tab Content 6

Author Website:  

Customer Reviews

Recent Reviews

No review item found!

Add your own review!

Countries Available

All regions