Rousseau in drag : Deconstructing gender

Description

Through a series of close readings of most of Rousseau's major writings, this book provides a new interpretation of the eighteenth-century philosopher's sexual politics. The text argues that Rousseau's writings provide a critique of not only normative gender identity, but also normative familial and kinship relations. Rousseau in Dragis a provocative interpretation of Rousseau's gender politics. Rosanne Terese Kennedy reads Rousseau's well known but brief flirtation with cross-dressing as a starting point to dramatically reconsider the standard reading of Rousseau as a misogynist. This study argues that rather than a figure of misogyny, Rousseau challenges normative gender identites, the couple, and traditional kinship relations. Reading Rousseau's classical political and philosophical works alongside his literary texts, Kennedy offers us an alternative vision of both Rousseau's sexual politics and his politics in general. Read more... Abstract: Through a series of close readings of most of Rousseau's major writings, this book provides a new interpretation of the eighteenth-century philosopher's sexual politics. The text argues that Rousseau's writings provide a critique of not only normative gender identity, but also normative familial and kinship relations. Rousseau in Dragis a provocative interpretation of Rousseau's gender politics. Rosanne Terese Kennedy reads Rousseau's well known but brief flirtation with cross-dressing as a starting point to dramatically reconsider the standard reading of Rousseau as a misogynist. This study argues that rather than a figure of misogyny, Rousseau challenges normative gender identites, the couple, and traditional kinship relations. Reading Rousseau's classical political and philosophical works alongside his literary texts, Kennedy offers us an alternative vision of both Rousseau's sexual politics and his politics in general Front Matter ....Pages i-xiii Introduction (Rosanne Terese Kennedy)....Pages 1-18 Sexual/Political Inequality (Rosanne Terese Kennedy)....Pages 19-53 The Arts: From the Letter to d’Alembert to The Reveries of the Solitary Walker (Rosanne Terese Kennedy)....Pages 55-82 Postoedipal Desire: Reading the Ménage à Trois (Rosanne Terese Kennedy)....Pages 83-107 Autobiography: Writing the Self, Writing Gender (Rosanne Terese Kennedy)....Pages 109-136 Conclusion (Rosanne Terese Kennedy)....Pages 137-143 Back Matter ....Pages 145-186