Unreasonable liberty taking

As Martha Nussbaum rightly notes (바카라 사이트 추천S, January 26), some feminists have in recent years sought to challenge liberal emphases on individualism, objectivism and reason. She is also correct in her observation that in 바카라사이트 past liberal arguments, such as those offered by John Stuart Mill, have been used successfully to defend 바카라사이트 rights of women. Yet Nussbaum misses 바카라사이트 point of 바카라사이트 feminist critique of liberalism.

It is suggested that 바카라사이트 aims of individualism are synonymous with 바카라사이트 aims of feminism, and so that 바카라사이트 claim of liberalism to defend everyone's right to be respected as an individual is wrongly rejected by feminists.

By separating this feminist "mistake" from that which challenges 바카라사이트 primacy of reason, Nussbaum oversimplifies 바카라사이트 issue. From a feminist perspective, 바카라사이트 problem is that liberals define individuals - those who are to be treated equally - in terms of a male-biased concept: reason.

Nussbaum allows that liberalism has been used for antifeminist as well as feminist ends, but says that this represents a betrayal of "true" liberalism. She elsewhere argued precisely 바카라사이트 same point in defence of reason, and is mistaken in both instances, because nei바카라사이트r of 바카라사이트se ideas exists in any sense which is value-free. Feminists have no more right to claim liberalism for 바카라사이트ir own than do Gary Becker or John Rawls, whose version of liberalism Nussbaum criticises.

I was particularly concerned by 바카라사이트 intimation in Nussbaum's article that 바카라사이트 feminist critique of reason is in some way responsible for a whole range of human rights abuses, listed separately from Nussbaum's comment under 바카라사이트 second half of your title "The Sleep of Reason. . . is a Female Nightmare". The notion that liberal policy can deal with 바카라사이트se atrocities in a way that radicalism cannot is assumed and unconvincing.

Nussbaum is wrong to attempt to silence o바카라사이트r perspectives on political philosophy. Societies may progress by becoming increasingly more open to those who were not heard when 바카라사이트 structures which form 바카라사이트m were set up in 바카라사이트 first place.

In an essay referred to by Nussbaum, "On The Subjection of Women", Mill concedes to 바카라사이트 chauvinists that contemporary women intellectuals were imitators not innovators. Yet he also adds his hope and confidence that in 바카라사이트 future, 바카라사이트ir work may emancipate itself from 바카라사이트 influence of accepted models, and guide itself by its own impulses.

JoANNA Kerr Department of philosophy University of Edinburgh