The rationality and myths of religious belief is a prolegomenon to a new way of thinking, believing and feeling. Evil, feminism, and a philosophy of transformation oxford. Feminism and the problem of evil diversity reading list. Feminist philosophy involves both reinterpreting philosophical texts and methods in order to supplement the feminist movement and attempts to criticise or reevaluate the ideas of traditional philosophy from within a feminist framework. The feminist philosophy reader alison bailey, chris. Chapter 1 a feminist turn in philosophy a feminist turn. Feminist philosophy of religion is a more recent development within western. Whereas feminist social and political philosophy arose from consciousnessraising groups, feminist ethics was initially developed by women who were or had been fulltime homemakers or mothers and who felt excluded and in some cases offended by the womens movements emphasis on dismantling barriers. It has moved beyond its original insight that gendered power deeply colors the methods and substance of philosophy. Multicultural and postcolonial feminist challenges to philosophy 2. Introduction to feminist philosophy and the problem of. The specifically modern conception of evil refers to moral evils, to evils that human beings are responsible for, as opposed to the catastrophes of natural. Rather than offering another solution to the problem of evil, in the form of, say, a theodicy, the discussion of this chapter is situated within an ethical framework concerned with unmasking the enactment and perpetuation of structural evils on the political and social levels. Special issue on feminist philosophy and the problem of evil.
Feminist philosophy and the problem of evil by robin may. In the last few years, terrorist attacks, suicide bombings, and ethnic and religious wars have only emphasized humanitys seemingly insatiable capacity for violence. The question of unjust suffering has haunted modern thought. The specifically modern conception of evil refers to moral evils, to evils. Believe it or not, apple is providing exodus international an organization that promotes conversion therapy to try to brainwash gay people into turning straight a platform on itunes for their homophobic iphone app. Richly interdisciplinary in orientation, hypatia serves as a resource for the philosophy and wider womens studies communities and for all those interested in. Special issue on feminist philosophy and the problem of evil introduction. Feminist philosophy and the problem of evil, 2007 online. For instance, a feminist philosopher could argue that it is far more constructive to try to alleviate suffering than to justify the existence of evil and a good, all knowing.
Once a year the course considers how feminism challenges traditional ways of thinking about human nature, conceptions of rationality, objectivity and philosophy of. Radical evil the subject of immanuel kants philosophy of religion has received more attention in the beginning of the 21 st century than it did in kants own time. The feminist philosophy reader alison bailey, chris cuomo. The problem of evil 81 denial of god 82 two kinds of evil 82 denial of evil 83 the least of the evils 84 the. Special issue on feminist philosophy and the problem of evil hypatia 18. Feminist philosophy of religion stanford encyclopedia of. In describing a variety of feminist perspectives, i intend to highlight the way in which feminist theories invariably turn to the practical solutions that might be made to evil and suffering in our world.
Feminist philosophy of mind bibliography philpapers. Pdf download philosophy of religion free unquote books. In doing so, it will define theodicy while explaining the works of augustine, irenaeus, and hick. Im thinking about including this book in a syllabus im working on for a feminist philosophy course. Pdf margaret cavendish, feminist ethics, and the problem of evil. Margaret cavendish, feminist ethics, and the problem of evil. Feminist philosophy of religion is a more recent development within western philosophy that poses feminist questions about religious texts, traditions, and practices, often with the aim of critiquing, redefining, or reconstructing the entire field in light of gender studies. Feminist philosophy of mind is the practice of using feminist philosophies and methodologies to solve problems in traditional philosophy of mind and vice versa. As predominantly white and euro american feminists criticize the hidden prejudices and problematic biases in the history of malestream philosophy, so women of color and outsiders to the academy question theories developed by privileged academic women, whose own experiences are o ften. The problem of evil, the problem of air, and the problem of silence. A journal of feminist philosophy is a forum for cuttingedge work in feminist philosophy. Sep 18, 2017 in fact, however, feminist philosophy should be an essential resource for all philosophers, whatever their views about its political agenda. The logical form of the argument tries to show a logical impossibility in the coexistence of god and evil, 1 4 while the evidential form tries to show that given the evil in the world, it is improbable that there is an. As susan neiman argues in her book, evil in modern thought.
This chapter considers a range of approaches offered by feminists to the problem of evil, suggesting something of the innovation that considering gender issues bring to the discussion of evil. This collection of essays examines the work of several of the most important of these figures, from the seventeenth to the latetwentieth centuries, and addresses themes central to the tradition of modern jewish philosophy. Richly interdisciplinary in orientation, hypatia serves as a resource for the philosophy and wider womens studies communities and for all those interested in philosophical issues raised by feminism. She has published extensively on issues at the intersections of feminist theory, philosophy of racewhiteness studies, and epistemology. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. June 27, 2018 jill graper hernandez, early modern women and the problem of evil. Evil, feminism, and a philosophy of transformation. Feminist philosophy and the problem of evil a hypatia book. In feminist philosophy and the problem of evil, robin may schott brings an international group of contemporary feminist philosophers into. See, theres this thing that happens to groups of people. Feminist philosophy is an approach to philosophy from a feminist perspective and also the employment of philosophical methods to feminist topics and questions.
Until now, most sources have focused on logical, metaphysical, and epistemological issues, leaving moral questions as open territory. But feminist theory thats the place where the questions stop. Philosophical feminism, a loosely related set of approaches in various fields of philosophy that 1 emphasizes the role of gender in the formation of traditional philosophical problems and concepts, 2 analyzes the ways in which traditional philosophy reflects and perpetuates bias against women. The problem of evil 81 denial of god 82 two kinds of evil 82 denial of evil 83 the least of the evils 84 the aesthetic totality solution 85 the freewill solution 85 justice in the afterlife 86 gods mysterious ways 86 working out an answer 87 faith and reason. Feminist philosophy and the problem of evil a hypatia. Multicultural and postcolonial feminist challenges to philosophy 1. It has a nice selection of work on oppression, sex and gender, ethics, political philosophy, and epistemology. Feminist philosophy both critiques and contributes to all fields of philosophy. May 11, 2007 in feminist philosophy and the problem of evil, robin may schott brings an international group of contemporary feminist philosophers into debates on evil and terrorism. Oct 25, 2014 this paper explores the relationship between the problem of evil and a kenotic view of the atonement evidenced not just by feminist theologians, but by analytic philosophers of religion. The problem signs are there, say feminist critics, even in the method.
The subject of immanuel kants philosophy of religion has received more attention in the beginning of the 21 st century than it did in kants own time. The major benefit is that its farreaching and comprehensive. Angloamericananalytic, continental philosophy, history of philosophy, and nonwestern philosophy among others. May 11, 2007 buy feminist philosophy and the problem of evil a hypatia book by robin may schott, robin may schott isbn. This paper argues that, although margaret cavendishs main philosophical contributions are not in philosophy of religion, she makes a case for a defense of god, in spite of the worst sorts of harms being present in the world. The problem of evil has been an extremely active area of study in the philosophy of religion for many years. This paper considers briefly the approach to the problem of evil by alvin plantinga, richard swinburne, and john hick and argues that none of these approaches is entirely satisfactory.
Today feminist philosophers construct work that builds on an understanding of power, privilege and oppression in the complex relationships among. Feminist epistemology and feminist science 336 feminist philosophy of language 337 the revival of african american philosophy 338 martin luther king jr. Feminist philosophy and the problem of evil a hypatia book edited by robin may schott english may 11, 2007 isbn. The problem of religious language, for example, is frequently cast in terms of. Feminist philosophy of religion stanford encyclopedia of philosophy. The special issue of hypatia on feminist philosophy and the problem of evil, which appeared in the winter and spring of 2003, was conceived well before the terrorist attacks on 911. Religion was an unavoidable topic for kant since it addresses the ultimate questions of metaphysics and morality.
Hypatiavolume 18, number 1, winter 2003 project muse. Some typical arguments of this feminist approach to philosophy center on how traditional methods of philosophy have accepted that the social norms about male and. Reviewed by karen detlefsen, university of pennsylvania. It is, now, also a political movement, a social identity, as well as a set of institutions. Rethinking the problem of evil with hannah arendt and grace jantzen. An alternative history of end page 1 philosophy 2002, 1 the problem of evil most broadly understood is the problem of how to make sense of the world when that world is ineradicably a place of suffering 2. Opinion feminism and the future of philosophy the new. Feminist philosophy is united by a central concern with gender. The struggle with a discipline shaped almost exclusively by men has led feminist philosophers to redress the problematic biases of gender, race, class and sexual orientation in the.
New topics in feminist philosophy of religion contestations and. The problem is that feminism is more than a philosophy or a group of beliefs. Feminist philosophy and the problem of evil robin may schott published by indiana university press schott, robin may. Table of contents stanford encyclopedia of philosophy. In feminist philosophy and the problem of evil, robin may schott brings an international group of contemporary feminist philosophers into debates on evil and terrorism. Alison bailey is a professor of philosophy at illinois state university where she directs the womens and gender studies program. Aside from these uniting features, feminist philosophy is a diverse field covering a wide range of topics from a variety of approaches. A feminist approach asks us to consider the ways that placing different kinds of bodies at the center of philosophical analysis alters our traditional accounts of phenomena such as. This paper explores the relationship between the problem of evil and a kenotic view of the atonement evidenced not just by feminist theologians, but by analytic philosophers of religion. Feminist philosophy of religion has developed in recent years because of the exposure of explicit sexism in much traditional philosophical thinking about religion. In the special issue on feminist philosophy and the problem of evil, at least four strategies emerged amongst contributors. Rethinking the problem of evil with hannah arendt and. In fact, however, feminist philosophy should be an essential resource for all philosophers, whatever their views about its political agenda.
Philosophical reflection on religion is as old as greek questions about hebrew stories. Feminist philosophy and the problem of evil on jstor. Hernandez starts with a contemporary problem for those interested in philosophy of religion, specifically those engaged with thinking through evil, and turns to insights of a range of early modern women in order to find productive ways to move forward with this problem. Ethics and the problem of evil indiana university press. This lesson will explore the philosophical process of rectifying god with evil. The problem of evil and the plasticity of incarnation. By that time, i had already collected a substantial body of feminist reflections on evil. Pdf the cambridge companion to feminism in philosophy. Pdf this paper argues that, although margaret cavendishs main philosophical contributions are not in philosophy of religion, she makes a. New topics in feminist philosophy of religion maintains this vitality with both women and. The problem of evil is often formulated in two forms. The problem of evil will be the fundamental question of postwar intellectual life in europe arendt 1994 1945, p. Philosophical feminism, a loosely related set of approaches in various fields of philosophy that 1 emphasizes the role of gender in the formation of traditional philosophical problems and concepts, 2 analyzes the ways in which traditional philosophy reflects and perpetuates bias against women, and 3 defends philosophical concepts and theories that presume womens equality. Feminist philosophy and the problem of evil avaxhome.
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