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Rousseau's Political Defense of the Sex‐roled Family

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  25 March 2020

Penny Weiss  and
Anne Harper
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Abstract

We argue that Rousseau's defense of the sex‐roled family is not based on biological determinism or simple misogyny. Rather, his advocacy of sexual differentiation is based on his understanding of its ability to bring individuals outside of themselves into interdependent communities, and thus to counter natural independence, self'absorption and asociality, as well as social competitiveness and egoism. This political defense of the sex‐roled family needs more critique by feminists.

Type
Research Article
Information
Hypatia , Volume 5 , Issue 3 , Fall 1990 , pp. 90 - 109
Copyright
Copyright © 1990 by Hypatia, Inc.

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