Modern Political Theory and Contemporary Feminism

Jennifer Ring is Assistant Professor in the Department of Government and International Studies at the University of South Carolina.

"Jennifer Ring's book is a significant step in feminist theory. She moves beyond old dichotomies, and beyond the rejection of all dichotomies, by establishing the value of a 'minimalist dialectics' drawn from Hegel and from Marx. She recasts familiar debates with fresh insights. Her book is scholarly but clear and accessible; it deserves a wide audience among political theorists and all participants in feminist discourse." — Nannerl O. Keohane, President, Wellesley College"This book is an intelligent, well-argued, articulate presentation of the problems with earlier feminist epistemologies that have adopted unsatisfactory stances for either observing or participating in the political world. Ring draws from both Hegel and Marx to propose a minimalist dialectic that requires neither essentialism nor a completely subjectivized stance. She speaks with elegance and clarity." — Arlene W. Saxonhouse, University of Michigan"I admire this book. The stance it takes — neither liberal nor deconstructionist— seems to me both common sensible and rare. The author has a lively, engaged mind. Her approach is refreshingly rebellious, but she writes with great respect for the liberal and conservative traditions she criticizes, as she writes with great concern for the future of feminism." — Elisabeth Young-Bruehl, Wesleyan University

• Acknowledgments1. Introduction2. Contemporary Feminist Epistemology3. John Stuart Mill—The Subjection of Women4. John Stuart Mill—A System of Logic5. Hegelian Dialectics6. Marxian Dialectics7. ConclusionNotesIndex