Ecological Feminism

Theories of ecological feminism see the patriarchal dominations of women and other social groups as parallel to man's exploitation of "nonhuman nature." Ecofeminists believe that environmental politics and philosophy are enriched by using gender as a focus, while also appreciating the necessity of an ecological dimension to any form of feminism. This ground-breaking book offers the first survey of ecofeminism from a purely philosophical point of view; it is concerned with the conceptual underpinnings of and argumentative support for ecofeminism. The contributors also use the approaches and methodologies of ethics, epistemology and metaphysics to examine ecology's link with the women's movement. There is not one view of ecofeminism, any more than there is one feminism; Karen Warren has emphasized the importance of acknowledging this, and a plurality of views are represented in her collection. The essays in this volume deal with a wide variety of subjects - the essential distinction between the "ecofeminist" and the "ecofeminine," the link between violence and environmental exploitation, feminism's relationship to animal rights and how well the ecofeminist stance stands up to comparison with theories of "Deep Ecology". Ecological Feminism shows that the potential for a full understanding of man's domination of both women and the natural world can only be achieved by acknowledging the inextricable links between the two; it is important reading for feminists, philosophers, and environmentalists alike.