The Problematic Status of Gender-Neutral Language in the History of Philosophy: The Case of Kant
Philosophical Forum 25:134-150 (1993)
| Abstract | The increasingly common use of inclusive language (e.g., "he or she") in representing past philosophers' views is often inappropriate. Using Immanuel Kant's work as an example, I compare his use of terms such as "human race" and "human being" with his views on women to show that his use of generic terms does not prove that he includes women. I then discuss three different approaches to this issue, found in recent Kant-literature, and show why each of them is insufficient. I conclude that the tension between gender-neutral and gender-specific views in Kant's work should be made explicit, and I offer several strategies for doing so. | |||||||||
| Keywords | Gender-neutral language Immanuel Kant History of Philosophy | |||||||||
| Categories | ||||||||||
| Options |
|
|||||||||
Download options| PhilPapers Archive |
Upload a copy of this paper Check publisher's policy on self-archival Papers currently archived: 5,701 |
| External links |
  Try with proxy. Try with proxy. |
| Through your library | Configure |
Similar books and articlesPatrick Kain (2009). Kant's Defense of Human Moral Status. Journal of the History of Philosophy 47 (1):pp. 59-101.
Mark A. Cheetham (2001). Kant, Art, and Art History: Moments of Discipline. Cambridge University Press.
Roger J. Sullivan (1989). Immanuel Kant's Moral Theory. Cambridge University Press.
Immanuel Kant (1991). Kant: Political Writings. Cambridge University Press.
Pauline Kleingeld (ed.) (2006). Immanuel Kant, ‘Toward Perpetual Peace’ and Other Writings on Politics, Peace, and History. Yale University Press.
Gail Linsenbard (2007). Sartre's Criticisms of Kant's Moral Philosophy. Sartre Studies International 13 (2):65-85.
Pauline Kleingeld (1999). Kant, History, and the Idea of Moral Development. History of Philosophy Quarterly 16 (1):59-80.
Pauline Kleingeld (2001). Nature or Providence? On the Theoretical and Moral Importance of Kant’s Philosophy of History. American Catholic Philosophical Quarterly 75 (2):201-219.
Analytics
Monthly downloads |
Added to index2009-07-10Total downloads83 ( #9,064 of 549,090 )Recent downloads (6 months)4 ( #19,228 of 549,090 )How can I increase my downloads? |
My notes
Discussion
