Book

Rational Woman

Prokhovnik, Raia

2001

Overview

To feminists and some postmodernists reason/emotion and man/woman represent two fundamental polarities, fixed deep within Western philosophy and reflected in the structures of our languages, and two sets of hierarchical power relations in patriarchal society. Raia Prokhovnik challenges the tradition of dualism and argues that ‘rational woman’ need no longer be a contradiction in terms. Prokhovnik examines in turn: the nature of dichotomy, its problems and an alternative the reason/emotion dichotomy dichotomies central to the man/woman dualism, such as sex/gender and the heterosexual/ist norm. She argues for new ‘relational’ conceptions of all the terms involved, emphasizing the relationship or interdependence of reason and emotion, man and woman, rather than placing these terms at opposite poles. Prokhovnik then moves from the abstract to the practical by placing her thesis in the context of recent feminist theory and practice, including the backlash against feminism. She concludes that the second wave of feminism was still tied to a mind/body dichotomy, but that a third wave of feminism is emerging, bringing with it a relational non-dichotomous alternative. Rational Woman offers a clear survey and evaluation of epistemological and ontological debates, but more importantly shows how these debates pertain to current political developments. This work makes a significant contribution to the literature of gender politics, political and feminist theory, sociology and philosophy.

• Publisher: Routledge
• ISBN: 0415146186, 9780415146180