Book Notes

Feminist Interpretations of Martin Heidegger. Ed. Nancy J. Holland and Patricia Huntington. University Park: The Pennsylvania State University Press, 2001.

Because feminist philosophers have not, as a whole, turned to the work of Martin Heidegger as a resource, the editors of this anthology have brought together writings that "offer original and constructive ways to flesh out key Heideggerian concepts in order to reveal their import for feminist theorizing" (2). These include three previously published works, such as Jacques Derrida's "Geschlecht: Sexual Difference, Ontological Difference" and Iris Marion Young's "House and Home: Feminist Variations on a Theme." Other essays cover such territory as ecofeminism, revolution, poetic language, and cultural conflict and authenticity. The two introductory essays, each written by the editors, are rather extensive. The first provides a general history of the reception of Heidegger's work by feminist thinkers and an outline of his thought, while the second addresses more specific feminist responses to, and uses and developments of, Heideggerian philosophy. The fourteen essays that follow, fleshing out Heideggerian concepts and their significance for feminists, are written by Derrida, Tina Chanter, Dorothy Leland, Nancy J. Holland, John D. Caputo, Carol Bigwood, Jennifer Anna Gosetti, Trish Glazebrook, Young, Mechthild Nagel, Luce Irigaray, Ellen T. Armour, Gail Stenstad, and Patricia Huntington.

Feminist Interpretations of Friedrich Nietzsche. Ed. Kelly Oliver and Marilyn Pearsall. University Park: The Pennsylvania State University Press, 2001.

Despite his frequent attacks on women and the feminine, and the fact that these have been often ignored by admirers and critics alike, some feminist thinkers have come to see Friedrich Nietzsche as a resource for contemporary feminist philosophy. And indeed, his constant use of women and the feminine as metaphors throughout his work defies easy analysis. Some have asked whether it is possible to separate Nietzsche's misogynist comments from the rest of his work: Does his constant use of women and the feminine simply reflect traditional views privileging men and masculine notions of power? Or can his ideas—perhaps those regarding objectivity and reason—serve as a resource for feminist theorizing regarding, for instance, the relation between knowledge claims, language, and power? The collected essays address these and other questions regarding the relevance of Nietzsche to feminist thought. Authors are Sarah Kofman, Jacques Derrida, Kelly Oliver, Luce Irigaray, Tamsin Lorraine, Kathleen Marie Higgins, Jean Graybeal, Linda Singer, Maudemarie Clark, Lynne Tirrell, Debra B. Bergoffen, Kathleen J. Wininger, Daniel W. Conway, Ofelia Schutte, and David Owen.

Feminist Interpretations of Jean-Jacques Rousseau. Ed. Lynda Lange. University Park: The Pennsylvania State University Press, 2002.

There is much disagreement among feminist theorists regarding the extent and implications of sexism in Rousseau's political thought. This set of fifteen essays struggles with such questions, raising also the possibility that Rousseau's importance for contemporary theorists has more to do with his opening certain avenues of discussion often ignored by other modern philosophers than with his particular conclusions. For instance, despite Rousseau's belief that the role of women in the ideal state ought to be rearing children (so that they form the proper attachments to the common good), his work invites critical reflection on, for starters, gender roles, family and the state, and education. These essays also explore Rousseau's notion of women's happiness in their "natural" roles in heterosexual families, the complementarity of women and men, power and equality, the natural as normative, and the dichotomies of emotion/reason and public/private. The contributors are Lynda Lange, Penny Weiss and Anne Harper, Leah Bradshaw, Susan Moller Okin, Mira Morganstern, Alice Ormiston, Else Wiestad, Ingrid Makus, Melissa A. Butler, Sarah Kofman, Lori J. Marso, Linda Zerilli, Elizabeth Wingrove, Rebecca Kukla, and Monique Wittig.

Feminist Interpretations of Ludwig Wittgenstein. Ed. Naomi Scheman and Peg O'connor. University Park: The Pennsylvania State University Press, 2002.

From a distance, Wittgenstein can appear as insignificant, or even inimical, to feminist thinking. Not only does he seem to dislike women, but he shows remarkably little interest in the feminist liberatory project. In addition, his recommendation to consider language in...