Feminist Theory

Topics in Feminism
First published Fri Feb 7, 2003; substantive revision Wed Nov 28, 2012
Feminism is both an intellectual commitment and a political movement that seeks justice for women and the end of sexism in all forms. However, there are many different kinds of feminism. Feminists disagree about what sexism consists in, and what exactly ought to be done about it; they disagree about what it means to be a woman or a man and what social and political implications gender has or should have. Nonetheless, motivated by the quest for social justice, feminist inquiry provides a wide range of perspectives on social, cultural, economic, and political phenomena. Important topics for feminist theory and politics include: the body, class and work, disability, the family, globalization, human rights, popular culture, race and racism, reproduction, science, the self, sex work, human trafficking, and sexuality. Extended discussion of these topics is included in the sub-entries to feminism in this encyclopedia.
  * 1. Introduction
  * 2. What is Feminism?
      * 2.1 Feminist Beliefs and Feminist Movements
      * 2.2 Normative and Descriptive Components
      * 2.3 Feminism and the Diversity of Women
      * 2.4 Feminism as Anti-Sexism
  * 3. Topics in Feminism: Overview of the Encyclopedia Sub-Entries
  * Bibliography
  * Academic Tools
  * Other Internet Resources
      * General
      * Feminism and Class
      * Feminism and Disability
      * Feminism, Human Rights, Global Feminism, and Human Trafficking
      * Feminism and Race/Ethnicity
      * Feminism, Sex, and Sexuality
  * Related Entries

1. Introduction
Feminism brings many things to philosophy including not only a variety of particular moral and political claims, but ways of asking and answering questions, constructive and critical dialogue with mainstream philosophical views and methods, and new topics of inquiry. Feminist philosophers work within all the major traditions of...