Butler and Ethics

Judith Butler is best known for Gender Trouble (1990), the book that introduced the idea of gender performativity. However, with the publication of Giving an Account of Oneself in 2005, it appeared that her work had taken a different turn: away from considerations of sex, gender, sexuality and politics, and towards ethics. Bringing together a group of internationally renowned theorists, these 9 essays ask whether there has been an ‘ethical turn’ in Butler's work, exploring how ethics relate to politics and how they connect to her increasing concern with violence, war and conflict.