The Subject of Liberty

Toward a Feminist Theory of Freedom

Nonfiction, Social & Cultural Studies, Political Science, Politics, History & Theory
Cover of the book The Subject of Liberty by Nancy J. Hirschmann, Princeton University Press
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Nancy J. Hirschmann ISBN: 9781400825363
Publisher: Princeton University Press Publication: January 10, 2009
Imprint: Princeton University Press Language: English
Author: Nancy J. Hirschmann
ISBN: 9781400825363
Publisher: Princeton University Press
Publication: January 10, 2009
Imprint: Princeton University Press
Language: English

This book reconsiders the dominant Western understandings of freedom through the lens of women's real-life experiences of domestic violence, welfare, and Islamic veiling. Nancy Hirschmann argues that the typical approach to freedom found in political philosophy severely reduces the concept's complexity, which is more fully revealed by taking such practical issues into account.

Hirschmann begins by arguing that the dominant Western understanding of freedom does not provide a conceptual vocabulary for accurately characterizing women's experiences. Often, free choice is assumed when women are in fact coerced--as when a battered woman who stays with her abuser out of fear or economic necessity is said to make this choice because it must not be so bad--and coercion is assumed when free choices are made--such as when Westerners assume that all veiled women are oppressed, even though many Islamic women view veiling as an important symbol of cultural identity.

Understanding the contexts in which choices arise and are made is central to understanding that freedom is socially constructed through systems of power such as patriarchy, capitalism, and race privilege. Social norms, practices, and language set the conditions within which choices are made, determine what options are available, and shape our individual subjectivity, desires, and self-understandings. Attending to the ways in which contexts construct us as "subjects" of liberty, Hirschmann argues, provides a firmer empirical and theoretical footing for understanding what freedom means and entails politically, intellectually, and socially.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

This book reconsiders the dominant Western understandings of freedom through the lens of women's real-life experiences of domestic violence, welfare, and Islamic veiling. Nancy Hirschmann argues that the typical approach to freedom found in political philosophy severely reduces the concept's complexity, which is more fully revealed by taking such practical issues into account.

Hirschmann begins by arguing that the dominant Western understanding of freedom does not provide a conceptual vocabulary for accurately characterizing women's experiences. Often, free choice is assumed when women are in fact coerced--as when a battered woman who stays with her abuser out of fear or economic necessity is said to make this choice because it must not be so bad--and coercion is assumed when free choices are made--such as when Westerners assume that all veiled women are oppressed, even though many Islamic women view veiling as an important symbol of cultural identity.

Understanding the contexts in which choices arise and are made is central to understanding that freedom is socially constructed through systems of power such as patriarchy, capitalism, and race privilege. Social norms, practices, and language set the conditions within which choices are made, determine what options are available, and shape our individual subjectivity, desires, and self-understandings. Attending to the ways in which contexts construct us as "subjects" of liberty, Hirschmann argues, provides a firmer empirical and theoretical footing for understanding what freedom means and entails politically, intellectually, and socially.

More books from Princeton University Press

Cover of the book The Seduction of Culture in German History by Nancy J. Hirschmann
Cover of the book How to Run a Country by Nancy J. Hirschmann
Cover of the book Lectures on the History of Moral and Political Philosophy by Nancy J. Hirschmann
Cover of the book The Nobel Factor by Nancy J. Hirschmann
Cover of the book Agent_Zero by Nancy J. Hirschmann
Cover of the book Economy of the Unlost by Nancy J. Hirschmann
Cover of the book On Stalin's Team by Nancy J. Hirschmann
Cover of the book A Natural History of Families by Nancy J. Hirschmann
Cover of the book Handbook of Capture-Recapture Analysis by Nancy J. Hirschmann
Cover of the book Carnations by Nancy J. Hirschmann
Cover of the book On War and Leadership by Nancy J. Hirschmann
Cover of the book Veto Players by Nancy J. Hirschmann
Cover of the book Computational Economics by Nancy J. Hirschmann
Cover of the book Multiculturalism by Nancy J. Hirschmann
Cover of the book Climate Shock by Nancy J. Hirschmann
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy