COURSE OUTLINE/PHIL 242A INTRODUCTION TO FEMINIST THEORY
Fall term 2007: MW 10:30 – 11:30 plus conference TBA
PROFESSOR M. DESLAURIERS
Office: McGill Centre for Research and Teaching on Women (MCRTW)
3487 Peel Street, 2nd floor
Please note: this office is accessible only by stairs. If this presents any difficulty for you, I can
meet you in the Leacock building, which is more accessible.
Phone: 398-3911
e-mail: marguerite.deslauriers@mcgill.ca
Office Hours: M 12:00 – 14:00
This course is an introduction to feminist political theory. The aims of the course are to acquaint
students with the diversity of feminist theories, and to introduce some of the issues on which
feminists differ. The first part of the course will consider liberal feminism, Marxist and socialist
feminism, and radical feminism. These theories all provide some account of the practices that
maintain the inequality between men and women. The various feminist theories differ, however,
both in their analyses of these practices, and in their recommendations for political change.
Some of the questions we will address are: If we could ensure that women had opportunities
equal to those of men, would we thereby ensure the equality of women with men? Can the
unequal status of women be analyzed as an instance of, or a function of, some other political or
economic inequality? How are we to understand equality? Does radical feminism offer a viable
political strategy? In the first part of the course we will also consider feminist theory that is critical
of the main schools of feminist thought, in order to see how such criticisms have provoked a
recognition of differences within feminism.
In the second part of the course we will consider three issues of concern to feminists: (1) whether
there is an important distinction between sex as a natural category and gender, or whether most,
if not all, of what we attribute to sex is in fact gender; (2) whether there is a tension between
feminism and multiculturalism, and whether the traditions of feminism in North America and
western Europe have anything to offer women in developing countries; (3) whether feminists
should support restrictions on pornography.
Students should note that while they will not be expected to have any prior knowledge of feminist
theory or political theory, they should be prepared to read a substantial amount, and to learn how
to read, write and discuss philosophy. Note also that this course is an introduction to feminist
theory and not an introduction to the circumstances that have given rise to feminist theory. We
will begin with two assumptions: that women do not now enjoy equality with men, and that this is
neither a natural nor a necessary state of affairs.
TEXT: A required reading package will be available at the Word Bookstore, 469 Milton Street.
COURSE REQUIREMENTS: One exercise in defining terms (30%), one exercise in analysis
(30%), one take-home exam (40%).
POLICY ON EXTENSIONS: No extensions will be granted without an appropriate medical note.
Late work will be penalized at the rate of a third of a grade per calendar day past the due date.
For example, a paper that is evaluated as a B, if one day late, will be assigned a grade of B-; the
same paper, if two days late, would receive a C+.
ACADEMIC INTEGRITY: McGill University values academic integrity. All students must
understand the meaning and consequences of cheating, plagiarism and other academic offences
under the code of student conduct and disciplinary procedures (see www.mcgill.ca/integrity for
more information).
COURSE SYLLABUS/ PHIL 242A INTRODUCTION TO FEMINIST THEORY
Fall term 2007: MW 10:30 – 11:30 plus conference
Professor M. Deslauriers
September
5 Introduction
10 Bartky, “Toward a Phenomenology of Feminist Consciousness”
LIBERAL FEMINISM
12 Ronald Dworkin, “Liberalism”
17 Wollstonecraft, A Vindication of the Rights of Woman
19 Truth, “Ain’t I A Woman?”
CRITICISMS OF LIBERAL FEMINISM
24 Combahee River Collective, “A Black Feminist Statement”; hooks, “Black
Women: Shaping Feminist Theory”
MARXIST AND SOCIALIST FEMINISM
26 Marx, The German Ideology & “The Premises of the Materialist Method”;
Avineri, The Social and Political Thought of Karl Marx.
October
1 Jaggar, Chapter 10
CRITICISMS OF MARXIST/SOCIALIST FEMINISM
3 Bartky, “Feeding Egos and Tending Wounds: Deference and Disaffection in
Women’s Emotional Labor”
8 THANKSGIVING HOLIDAY
9 (NB THIS IS A TUESDAY) MacKinnon, “The Problem of Marxism and
Feminism”
10 Rich, “Compulsory Heterosexuality and Lesbian Existence”
RADICAL FEMINISM
15 Firestone, The Dialectic of Sex
17 Andrea Dworkin, Intercourse
22 MacKinnon, “Difference and Dominance”
CRITICISMS OF RADICAL FEMINISM
24 Harris, “Race and Essentialism in Feminist Legal Theory”
ISSUE: WHAT IS A WOMAN? SEX AND GENDER
29 Rubin, “The Traffic in Women”
31 Haslanger, “Ontology and Social Construction”
November
5 Butler, “Gender Trouble”
ISSUE: WHO IS A WOMAN? FEMINISM, NATIONALITY AND CULTURE
7 Okin, Is Multiculturalism Bad for Women?; Honig, “My Culture Made Me Do It”;
Post, “Between Norms and Choices”.
12 Talpade Mohanty, Feminism Without Borders, Chapter 1, “Under Western
Eyes: Feminist Scholarship and Colonial Discourses”
14 Nussbaum, Women and Human Development: the Capabilities Approach,
“In Defense of Universal Values”.
ISSUE: PORNOGRAPHY
19 Dworkin, “Do We Have a Right to Pornography?”
21 Langton, “Whose Right? Ronald Dworkin, Women, and Pornographers”
26 MacKinnon, Only Words
28 Rich, “Taking Women Students Seriouslly”
December
3 wrap-up
ASSIGNMENTS WILL BE DUE: October 10, November 12.