PHIL/WMST 275.001 – Moral and Philosophical Issues of Gender in Society

Instructor: Jordan MacKenzie. This course meets MTWRF 11:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. in PE 216.

This course offers an introduction to the history of, and contemporary issues within, feminist philosophy. We will explore a number of prominent answers to the question ‘what does it mean to be a feminist?’ At first, this question seems to have an easy answer: feminists are people who think that women and men ought to be treated equally, and ought to have the same political, economic and social rights. As we will soon see, however, there has been great debate over what it means to be ‘equal’. Is equality achieved when the law grants women the same rights as men, or when women and men have same earning power? Does it require women to give up certain stereotypically feminine behaviors and occupations? And what is the relationship between gender inequality and other forms of inequality and oppression?

Throughout the course, we will explore a few special topics. Topics may include: sex work, pornography, beauty, language, the concept of gender, and consent.