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Toward a Feminist Theory of the State Reprint Edition
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- ISBN-100674896467
- ISBN-13978-0674896468
- EditionReprint
- PublisherHarvard University Press
- Publication dateSeptember 1, 1991
- LanguageEnglish
- Dimensions6.14 x 0.88 x 9.21 inches
- Print length352 pages
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p. 184: "Most women who seek abortions became pregnant while having sexual intercourse with men."
One wonders how many women become pregnant while having intercourse with other women.
On p. 162 she writes: "Formally, the state is male in that objectivity is its norm."
I guess she means that women are not, or cannot or should not be, objective. She goes on to say that the entire structure of laws guaranteeing freedom of speech, equality under the law, etc., the rule of law itself, are artifacts of male domination and should therefore be eliminated.
Her definition of rape covers all acts of sexual intercourse where the woman is not the actual initiator, then she argues, p.149: "...the truly interesting question becomes how and why sexuality in women is ever other than masochistic." On other pages she argues that a woman's sexual desire is nothing more than an artifact of submission to male dominance.
Brilliant! Brilliant! Brilliant!
[Nota Bene: contrary to the automatically generated heading, which I have been unable to edit, this review is of the hardcover edition, which may make a difference in the page numbers.]
First the good stuff. I appreciated her discussion early in the book about the differences between radical and liberal feminism. The more feminist theory I read the more difficult I find it to distinguish between the two approaches in a way that doesn't leave someone or some topics on the chopping block. In general I think that liberal feminists have addressed many of the valid concerns she addresses, such as situatedness and the social construction of sexuality. Her point that neutrality and an emphasis on negative rights camouflage and maintain status quo male supremacy was described in a novel way, but it's an argument I was introduced to by feminist liberals.
MacKinnon's discussion of the "wages for housework" critique/movement was one of my favorite parts of the book, and perhaps one of the strongest arguments against liberalism she makes. If we associate liberal with incremental, it's very hard to see how we could get from the current model where housework is not remunerated within the market mechanism to one where it is.
One of the weak parts of the book for me was the long introductory chapters on Marxism and feminism. I realize it's integral to her world view and her departure point for "unmodified" feminism, but she takes so much for granted from such a deeply misguided ideology that it was difficult for me to take her seriously for the first four chapters.
Ultimately what I find flawed in MacKinnon's feminism is what I have called its hermeneutical closure. She offers an interpretation of sexuality, pornography, etc based on her understanding of women as a class that is deaf to all alternative interpretations that individual women might offer based on their idiosyncratic beliefs and histories. This closed system offers no hope for dismantling gender hierarchy. Any reform, any evolution in norms and beliefs, can be interpreted as a reaction to and thus yet another perpetuation of male dominance. It's a similar phenomenon to the Christian fundamentalist tactic of suggesting the Devil has planted evidence to tempt us away from faith in God.
She is a compelling and dramatic writer and while her arguments run the gamut -- from the distastefully provocative to rigorously logical to total raving rants, it is impossible to dismiss her entirely. I recommend that those interested in her writings read the law review articles she has written on similar issues. It should be taken with the grain of salt, however, that her biases against men in general are profound and even disturbing.
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This is one of the only books (as far as I'm aware) that lays out radical feminist philosophy in a linear, step-by-step manner, and also goes over the ways in which RF differs (notably) from both liberal and Marxist thinking. Highly recommended.









