Michèle Le Dœuff
Encyclopedia
Michèle Le Dœuff is a French
feminist
philosopher and playwright. One of the most important contemporary feminist philosophers, Le Dœuff's work is highly critical of the philosophical tradition and its treatment of women. Le Dœuff’s ideas are driven by her intense philosophical and literary analysis of English empiricist philosophy, especially of Francis Bacon
. A capable critic of English empiricism
, the analytical
and the continental traditions of philosophy, Le Dœuff is concerned in her work to highlight the subtle fundamental ways in which both traditional philosophy and scientific thinking imagines a world in which women are inferior and incapable of rational and analytical thought. In books such as Recherches sur l'Imaginaire Philosophique (trans. The Philosophical Imaginary), now a classic text in feminist philosophy, Le Doeuff analyses a markedly misogynist relation to otherness within philosophy that has had a widespread and mythical dissemination: the philosophical imaginary that is an inescapeably irrational and uncritical foundation for knowledge in the writings of canonical philosophers.
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
feminist
Feminism
Feminism is a collection of movements aimed at defining, establishing, and defending equal political, economic, and social rights and equal opportunities for women. Its concepts overlap with those of women's rights...
philosopher and playwright. One of the most important contemporary feminist philosophers, Le Dœuff's work is highly critical of the philosophical tradition and its treatment of women. Le Dœuff’s ideas are driven by her intense philosophical and literary analysis of English empiricist philosophy, especially of Francis Bacon
Francis Bacon
Francis Bacon, 1st Viscount St Albans, KC was an English philosopher, statesman, scientist, lawyer, jurist, author and pioneer of the scientific method. He served both as Attorney General and Lord Chancellor of England...
. A capable critic of English empiricism
Empiricism
Empiricism is a theory of knowledge that asserts that knowledge comes only or primarily via sensory experience. One of several views of epistemology, the study of human knowledge, along with rationalism, idealism and historicism, empiricism emphasizes the role of experience and evidence,...
, the analytical
Analytic philosophy
Analytic philosophy is a generic term for a style of philosophy that came to dominate English-speaking countries in the 20th century...
and the continental traditions of philosophy, Le Dœuff is concerned in her work to highlight the subtle fundamental ways in which both traditional philosophy and scientific thinking imagines a world in which women are inferior and incapable of rational and analytical thought. In books such as Recherches sur l'Imaginaire Philosophique (trans. The Philosophical Imaginary), now a classic text in feminist philosophy, Le Doeuff analyses a markedly misogynist relation to otherness within philosophy that has had a widespread and mythical dissemination: the philosophical imaginary that is an inescapeably irrational and uncritical foundation for knowledge in the writings of canonical philosophers.
External links
Further reading
- L'Étude et le rouet, Michèle Le Dœuff (1989) translated as Hipparchia's Choice: An Essay Concerning Women, Philosophy, Etc. by Trista Selous (1991)
- Le Sexe du savoir Michèle Le Dœuff (1998) translated as The Sex of Knowing by Kathryn Hamer and Lorraine Code(2003)
- Recherches sur l'imaginaire philosophique, Michèle Le Dœuff translated as The Philosophical Imaginary by Colin Gordon (1990)
- "Ants and Women, or Philosophy Without Borders" in Contemporary French Philosophy A. Phillips Griffiths (ed.)(1987)
- Michèle Le Doeuff: Operative Philosophy and Imaginary Practice, Max Deutscher (ed.) (2001)