Feminist Explorations of Paul Ricoeur's Philosophy

This book for the first time brings together considerations upon the feminine in relation to Paul Ricoeur's thinking. The collection of renowned scholars who have published extensively on Ricoeur and promising younger scholars together shows the rich potential of his thought for feminist theory, without failing to critically scrutinize it and to show its limitations with respect to thinking gender differences. In the first part, "Ricoeur, Women, and Gender," Ricoeur's work is taken as the starting point for the reflection upon the position of women and the feminine, and for rethinking the notion of universalism. In the second part, "Ricoeur in Dialogue,"his work is related to feminist thinkers such as Simone de Beauvoir, Judith Butler, and Nancy Fraser and to the work of artist Kara Walker. These dialogues aim at thinking through socially relevant notions such as discourse, recognition, and justice. In the third part, "Ricoeur and Feminist Theology," Ricoeurian notions and ideas are the starting point for new perspectives upon feminist theology. The insights developed in this book will be of particular value to students and scholars of Ricoeur, feminist theory, and the limits of hermeneutics and phenomenology.