Subjection and Subjectivity

Psychoanalytic Feminism and Moral Philosophy

By: Diana T. Meyers

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Hardcover | 26 October 1994 | Edition Number 1

At a Glance

Hardcover
210 Pages

Dimensions(cm)
22.86 x 15.24 x 1.27

Hardcover

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Subjection and Subjectivityoffers an account of moral subjectivity and moral reflection designed to meet the needs of feminism, as well as other emancipatory movements. Diana Tietjens Meyers argues that impartial reason--the appraoch to moral reflection which has dominated 20th century Anglo-American philosophy and judicial reasoning--is inadequate for addressing real world injustices. Dealing with the problems of group-based social exclusion requires empathy with others. But empathy often becomes distorted by prejudicial attitudes which may be publicly condemned but continue to be transmitted through cultural figurations. Meyers uses Julia Kristeva's work on xenophobia and aesthetic practices as a starting point for developing a feminist politics of dissident speech, one that aims to dislodge prejudice. With the goal of offering an empathy-friendly account of moral reflection and judgment, she shows how moral reflection embodies the value of mutual recognition--a valueenunciated in the work of Nancy Chodorow and Jessica Benjamin. Meyers argues that it is a mistake to view the moral subject as independent, transparent and rational. Instead, she presents a picture of a heterogeneous and pluralistic subject, one that is defined by ties to other people, liable to misunderstand its own motives and aims, and in need of a repertory of strategies for purposes of moral reflection.

Industry Reviews

"In "Subjection and Subjectivity Professor Meyers has grasped an idea that ought to have been clear to us all but has eluded us until now: that the explorations of a depth psychology are crucial to formulating a theory of moral personality. Moreover, that the revisions and investigations by feminists into the possibilities of an adequate theory of personality afforded by psychoanalysis is a field rife for concepts useful for the feminist project of reorienting ethics to include issues of gender and differences. Meyers digs deep into this plentitude. And she extracts many important conceptions. Foremost amongst these riches are the idea of emphatic thought, dissident speech, the role of figuration in the perpetuation of prejudice against differences, and the heterogeneous self. The "coup de grace is the development of a distinctive and powerful conception of moral subjectivity--one adequate to resist subjection." -Eva Feder Kittay, State University of New York, Stony Broo "In "Subjection and Subjectivity Diana Meyers constructs a meeting place for feminism, psychoanalysis, and moral philosophy, and this original conjuncture puts interesting demands on each: psychoanalysis must justify its political relevance, feminism must field a psychology as well as politics, and ethics has to reckon with profound and intractable social problems that (astonishingly) scarcely appear in the Anglo-American literature." -Margaret Walker, Fordham University

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