Politics of Reality: Essays in Feminist Theory

by Marilyn Frye

Book Overview

Politics of Reality includes essays that examine sexism, the exploitation of women, the gay rights movement and other topics from a feminist perspective. "This is radical feminist theory at its best- clear, careful and critical."- SIGNS "For anyone first coming to feminism, these essays serve as a backdrop . . . for understanding the basic, early and continuing perspectives of feminists. And for all of us they provide a theoretical framework in which...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 089594099X
• ISBN13: 9780895940995
• Release Date: March 1983
• Publisher: Crossing Press
• Length: 192 Pages
• Weight: 0.53 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 5.4" x 8.3"

Customer Reviews

life changing

frye is an amazing writer that discusses theory in an interesting way that interacts with the reader. the arrogant and loving eye theory has changed my perspective on things

Excellent Philosophy

The writing is logical, thorough, precise, and clear. It's written to be accessible without losing the force of its arguments. Its egalitarianism is a brilliant solution to the problem of form vs. content, without ever losing her great philiosophical and linguistic clarity. I believe that the label of "lesbian separatist" has dissuaded many from reading her, or from taking her seriously as a philosopher, which is a very mistaken judgement.

Excellent

This is one of the clearest, most carefully argued explorations of feminist themes I have encountered. Indeed, It is one of the most accessible works of philosophy around, period. I use it in my intro to phil classes and in intro to gender studies. Read it--it's very good.

Oops!

I think what the last reviewer didn't understand is that no men are oppressed on the basis of their maleness, therefore they are not oppressed as men. They can be oppressed by homophobia which sees femininity in a man as a weakness, they can be oppressed by class, race, religion, etc...but not on the basis of being a man. Oppression happens to individuals, but not individually. People who belong to certain groups can be oppressed as a result of their group membership or perceived group membership, but there is a difference between oppression and suffering.That said, this book is brilliant and heavily cited in works by other genius thinkers and in my own personal life.

Every feminist and every philosopher should read this book

I use "The Politics of Reality" as the primary textbook for my course on philosophical issues in feminism. Frye is extremely lucid and intelligent; beginning students appreciate her useful analogies and well-structured essays, and I still get something new out of the book every time I read it. Her discussions of the difference between oppression and suffering, the purpose of sex-marking (i.e. behavior that informs others of one's sex), coercion, love, why lesbians scare the hell out of some people, and the meaning of anger are among the best I'm aware of, and her analysis of oppression provides a wonderful framework for understanding social realities. One of her themes is the importance of radical imagination; Frye's book itself goes a long way towards helping readers envision a more just world in which women are free, independent subjects, rather than enslaved objects who are shaped to the service of men. Frye is an outstanding philosopher, an excellent writer, and an inspiration to all feminist thinkers, as well as to anyone interested in the liberation of all those who are oppressed. I only wish I'd read her books (check out "Willful Virgin") a few years earlier!