ENGLISH

Autonomy, Gender, Politics

By Marilyn Friedman

Book information

Publisher
Oxford University Press, USA
Year
2003
ISBN
0195138503, 9780195138504
Open Library ID
OL7389327M
Language
english
Format
PDF
Filesize
1 MB (1540325 bytes)
Series
Studies in Feminist Philosophy
Pages
272\263
Scanned
yes
Time added
2011-04-18 11:31:18

Description

Women have historically been prevented from living autonomously by systematic injustice, subordination, and oppression. The lingering effects of these practices have prompted many feminists to view autonomy with suspicion. Here, Marilyn Friedman defends the ideal of feminist autonomy. In her eyes, behavior is autonomous if it accords with the wants, cares, values, or commitments that the actor has reaffirmed and is able to sustain in the face of opposition. By her account, autonomy is socially grounded yet also individualizing and sometimes socially disruptive, qualities that can be ultimately advantageous for women. Friedman applies the concept of autonomy to domains of special interest to women. She defends the importance of autonomy in romantic love, considers how social institutions should respond to women who choose to remain in abusive relationships, and argues that liberal societies should tolerate minority cultural practices that violate women's rights so long as the women in question have chosen autonomously to live according to those practices.

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