Although at times criticized for its philosophical density, French cultural theory remains a flourishing, if highly contested, area of academic study. Four feminist thinkers in this tradition continue to be especially prominent: Simone de Beauvoir, Julia Kristeva, Hélène Cixous, and Luce Irigaray. This new collection from Routledge gathers together the very best secondary literature on these thinkers to provide an indispensable conspectus of their works. Each of the four thinkers is represented by an individual volume, and each volume includes a newly written introduction to that thinker’s work and her philosophical relevance.
Volume 1: Simone De Beauvoir Part 1: The Uneasy Alliance Between The Second Sex and the US Feminist Movement Part 2: While We Wait for a Better English Translation of The Second Sex Part 3: The Foundations of Sexual Difference Part 4: Was De Beauvoir a Philosopher? Part 5: Situating de Beauvoir’s Relationship to Phenomenology Part 6: De Beauvoir’s Critique of Traditional Marriage Volume 2: Helene Cixous Part 7: Early Criticism Part 8: Writing and Sexual Difference Part 9: How to Read Hélène Cixous Part 10: Autobiography and Exile Part 11: Scopophilia and the Theatre Part 12: Lesbianism Volume 3: Luce Irigaray Part 13: Early Criticism Part 14: Revisiting Essentialism Part 15: The Body, the Psyche, and Oriented Sexes Part 16: Mimesis, Politics, and the Law Part 17: Divine Possibilities Volume 4: Julia Kristeva Part 18: The US Construction of ‘French Feminism’ Part 19: The (Im)possibility of ‘Woman’ as Speaking Subject Part 20: The Uses and Abuses of Julia Kristeva’s Work for Feminist Politics Part 21: The Return of the Maternal Body in Philosophy Part 22: Kristeva and the Polis
Biography
Jennifer Hansen is Assistant Professor in the Philosophy Department at Gettysburg College, Pennsylvania.
Ann Cahill is Associate Professor at Elon University, specializing in Feminist Theory, Social and Political Philosophy, Philosophy of the Body.