Locke and Feminism on Private and Public Realms of Activities

Bibliographic Data

ID6399890
AuthorsMary B Walsh, Mary Walsh (0000-0002-9510-1685, corresponding author)
Year1995
Volume57
Issue2
Pages251-278
Publication date1995-01-01
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueThe Review of Politics (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0034-6705 • E-ISSN: 1748-6858
PublisherCambridge University Press (CUP) (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1017/s0034670500026899
OpenAlexW2167575964
LanguageEN
Citations received2
References cited20

Feminist critics of Locke perceive a conflict between his promise of political liberty and equality and women's individual and social circumstances. Many feminists point to an incongruence in Locke's thought between formal political rights and the substantive inequalities women experience in a variety of social relationships. Emphasizing Locke's liberal distinction between private and public, these feminists explore how women's actual personal, marital, familial and economic (i.e., private) positions mitigate against the possibility of political emancipation for women. Opposing this interpretation, this article will argue that Locke's feminist critics misread Locke and misinterpret his distinction between private and public. What some feminists represent as a dichotomy between public and private is actually for Locke a multitude of interacting spheres in which individuals live. An examination of these spheres will reveal a latent potential in Locke's philosophy for addressing women's particular circumstances

Emancipation · Feminism · Interpretation (philosophy · Political philosophy · Political science · Politics · Private space · Private sphere · Public sphere · Separate spheres · Sociology · American Constitutional Law and Politics · Gender Studies · Law · Philosophy · Political Theory and Influence · Religion, Gender, and Enlightenment

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