Democracy Begins Between Two (Paperback)

~ (Author) "My thanks to the friends of the Federation of the PDS of Bologna who invited me to a debate with Renzo Imbeni, four years ago,..." (more)
Key Phrases: civil maturity, civil coexistence, civil identity, Renzo Imbeni, European Union, European Parliament (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

In Democracy Begins Between Two, Luce Irigaray calls for a form of specific civil rights guaranteeing women a separate civil identity of their own equivalent to-though not simply the same as-that enjoyed by men.

Language Notes

Text: English (translation)
Original Language: Italian --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 208 pages
• Publisher: Routledge; 1 edition (January 22, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0415918170
• ISBN-13: 978-0415918176
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,131,034 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Visionary, March 14, 2006

By	jessied - See all my reviews

I disagree strongly with the reviewer who posted before me. The reviewer criticizes Irigaray for being an idealist-- but idealism is important, because it is what allows us to imagine a future where our lives are happier and the world is more just. Plus, this book is full of practical ways in which to think about implementing that vision-- like a discussion of what kind of laws the European Union would need if it really wanted to treat women as though they were equal to men.

This book argues that if we want gender equality, then we need to do some serious thinking about some fundamental philosophical concepts we have, rights foremost among them. And it shows that we can't have gender equality if the yardstick for that equality is always the male one.

3.0 out of 5 stars Radical, not logical, August 5, 2005

By	Sara Swihart (Fort Wayne, Indiana, USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

Luce Irigaray brings up very strong and valid points for the equality of opportunity of women in the workforce, but many of her statements seem to be of an idealistic nature. It places the responsibility on the employer to accommodate the personal desires of the employee. It also seems to remove the personal responsibility from the female employee in regards to working toward more satisfying employment. The generalized statements the author makes about women place limitations on the kind of employment she thinks would be appropriate, that the women would enjoy, and that the women would be good at. It seems as though Irigaray is saying that keeping women off of the corporate ladder is okay and completely acceptable because a women would not be good at, nor would she enjoy that kind of work.