The A to Z of Feminist Philosophy

Catherine Villanueva Gardner

Jul 2009 · The A to Z Guide Series Book 56 · Scarecrow Press

About this ebook

Having only emerged in the past few decades, Feminist Philosophy is rapidly developing its own thrust in areas of particular importance to feminism_and women more generally_while also reevaluating and reshaping most other fields of philosophy, from ethics to logic and Marxism to environmentalism. It draws not only on feminist philosophers but criticizes, approves, or appropriates the work of the leading philosophers of all times. The introduction to this reference work provides a useful overview of the subject area and the chronology runs the gamut from Ancient Greek philosophers to contemporary feminist ones. The cross-referenced dictionary entries cover both the central figures and ideas from the historical tradition of philosophy, as well as ideas and theories from contemporary feminist philosophy, such as epistemology (the philosophy of science) and topics that have been introduced by the feminist movement itself, like abortion and sexuality. In addition to including entries on Aristotle, Plato, Descartes, Kant, Wollstonecraft, Beauvoir, and Daly, relevant aspects of other fields of philosophy, the major concepts, and prevailing interpretations and conjectures are also covered. A comprehensive bibliography allows for further reading.

About the author

Catherine Villanueva Gardner is associate professor in philosophy at the University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth, where she teaches for both the department of Philosophy and for the Women's Studies program. Her previous work includes Women Philosophers: Genre and the Boundaries of Philosophy, an examination of forgotten women philosophers and the reasons for their disappearance.