B8935 - Feminist Philosophy (1) (LM)

Learning outcomes

This course examines feminist approaches to questions in metaphysics, epistemology, language, science, political and moral theory. It is expected that students will become familiar with the main issues and concepts that make feminist philosophy a distinctive area within philosophy

Course contents

This course is divided into two parts. The first focuses on the distinction between sex and gender and its central place in feminist philosophy. The second examines feminist analyses of power, focusing on supremacist culture and the structural features of patriarchy.

Part 1: Sex and gender.

What is the nature of sex and gender? Is biological sex binary or a spectrum? Is biological sex an objective reality that exists regardless of our beliefs about sex and gender? Is gender determined by sex or is it socially constructed? What does it mean to say that gender is socially constructed? What defines a woman? Is there any essential property or set of properties that someone must possess in order to be considered a woman? We shall examine these questions from the lens of the philosophy of biology, metaphysics, and social ontology. Below is a list of the core readings we shall discuss in this part of the course (see Readings/Bibliography: Part 1). 

Part 2: Oppression

As far-right and white nationalist ideologies gain ground, alongside an intensifying backlash against progressive ideals and diversity, it has become increasingly urgent to equip ourselves with the critical tools needed to understand the logic of oppression. Intersectional feminism provides us with such tools. In this part of the course, we shall examine patriarchy as a system of power that underpins, intersects with, and reinforces multiple forms of oppression: from gender-based violence and systemic racism to economic inequality and the climate crisis; from sexual exploitation and health inequities to unequal access to education, as well as homophobia and transphobia. We shall approach patriarchy not simply as a set of gendered relations, but as a social system that produces hierarchies and legitimizes inequality across all spheres of life. Below is a list of the core readings we shall discuss in this part of the course (see Readings/Bibliography: Part 2).

 

NB The schedule of classes, including all readings and assignments, will be made available in due course.

Readings/Bibliography

Part 1: Sex and gender.

Ásta (2018), Categories we live by: The construction of sex, gender, race, & other social categories, New York, Oxford University Press (excerpts).

Simone de Beauvoir (1949), Le Deuxième Sexe, Paris, Gallimard (excerpts).

Judith Butler 1991, ‘Imitation and Gender Insubordination’, in Diana Fuss (ed.), Inside/Out: Lesbian Theories, Gay Theories, London, Routledge, 13–31.

Anne Fausto-Sterling (2012), Sex/Gender: Biology in a Social World, New York and London, Routledge (excerpts).

Diana Fuss (1989), Essentially Speaking: Feminism, Nature & Difference, London, Routledge (excerpts).

Sally Haslanger (2000), ‘Gender and Race: (What) Are They? (What) Do We Want Them to Be?’, Noûs 34 (1), 31–55.

Katharine Jenkins (2016), ‘Amelioration and Inclusion: Gender Identity and the Concept of Woman’, Ethics 126 (2), 394–421.

Katharine Jenkins (2023), Ontology and Oppression: Race, Gender and Social Reality, New York, Oxford University Press (excerpts).

Catharine A. MacKinnon (1989), 'Sexuality, Pornography, and Method: Pleasure under Patriarchy', Ethics, 99 (2), 314–346.

Mari Mikkola (2013), ‘Gender Concepts and Intuitions’, Canadian Journal of Philosophy, 39 (4), 559–583.

Toril Moi (1999), What is a Woman?, Oxford, Oxford University Press (excerpts).

Susan Moller Okin (1994), ‘Gender Inequality and Cultural Differences’, Political Theory 22 (1), 5–24.

Elizabeth Spelman (1988), Inessential Woman: Problems of Exclusion in Feminist Thought, London, The Women’s Press (excerpts).

Natalie Stoljar (1995), ‘Essence, Identity, and the Concept of Woman’, Philosophical Topics 23 (2), 261-293.

Iris Marion Young (1994), ‘Gender as Seriality: Thinking about Women as a Social Collective’, Signs 19 (3), 713–738.

 

 

Part 2: Oppression

Gloria Anzaldúa (1987), ‘La conciencia de la Mestiza’, in Anzaldúa, Borderlands/La Frontera: The New Mestiza, San Francisco, Spinster/Aunt Lute Book Company, 99–120.

Linda Alcoff (1992), ‘The Problem of Speaking for Others’, Cultural Critique, Winter, 20, 5–32.

Combahee River Collective (1979 [1977]), ‘A Black Feminist Statement’, in Eisenstein (ed.), Capitalist Patriarchy and the Case for Socialist Feminism, Monthly Review Press, 362–372.

Kimberlé W. Crenshaw (1991), ‘Mapping the Margins: Intersectionality, Identity Politics, and Violence against Women of Color’, Stanford Law Review, 43 (6), 1241–1299.

Kimberlé W. Crenshaw (2012), ‘From Private Violence to Mass Incarceration: Thinking Intersectionally about Women, Race, and Social Control’, 59 UCLA L. Rev. 141, 1418–1472. 

Robin Dembroff (2026), Real Men on Top: How Patriarchy Shapes Our Reality; New York, Oxford University Press.

Iris Marion Young (1990), ‘Displacing the Distributive Paradigm’, in Young, Justice and the Politics of Difference, Princeton and Oxford, Princeton University Press, 15–38.

Iris Marion Young (1990), ‘Five faces of oppression’, in Young, Justice and the Politics of Difference, Princeton and Oxford, Princeton University Press, 39–54.

Iris Marion Young (1990), ‘Throwing Like a Girl: A Phenomenology of Feminine Body Comportment, Motility and Spatiality’, in Young, Throwing Like a Girl and Other Essays in Feminist Philosophy and Social Theory, Indiana University Press, pp. 141–159.

Rae Langton (2009), ‘Projection and Objectification” in Langton, Sexual Solipsism: Philosophical Essays on Pornography and Objectification, New York, Oxford University Press, 241–266.

Rae Langton (2009), ‘Sexual Solipsism’, in Langton, Sexual Solipsism: Philosophical Essays on Pornography and Objectification, New York, Oxford University Press, 311–355.

David Livingstone Smith (2011), Less than Human: Why We Demean, Enslave, and Exterminate Others, New York, St. Martin’s Press (excerpts).

David Livingstone Smith (2016), ‘Paradoxes of Dehumanization’, Social Theory and Practice, 42 (2), 416–443.

Kate Manne (2018), ‘Discriminating Sexism’, in Manne, Down Girl: The Logic of Misogyny, New York, Oxford University Press, 78–105.

Kate Manne (2018), ‘Humanizing Hatred’, in Manne, Down Girl: The Logic of Misogyny, New York, Oxford University Press, 133–176.

Martha C. Nussbaum (1995), ‘Objectification’, Philosophy and Public Affairs, 24 (4), 249–291.

Teaching methods

My teaching goals are to help students become familiar with key philosophical concepts and topics, gain confidence in using the relevant terminology, develop strong skills in argument analysis, and cultivate critical thinking. These goals cannot be achieved by me alone; they require active participation and shared effort from both teacher and students. Reaching these goals depends on our mutual commitment to the learning process, where students engage fully and contribute meaningfully to the classroom environment.

Readings of around 50–100 pages per week will be assigned each week. One class per week (most likely on Fridays) will take the form of discussion, so your preparation will be important.

Assessment methods

Attending students are required to attend no less than 12 classes.

Grades will be distributed as follows:

Participation: 30%

Participation means active engagement in class discussions through questions, comments, or responses. What matters is the quality of your contributions, not the quantity.

Final paper: 70%

A 3,000-word essay based on one or more topics discussed during the course is required. Class time will be devoted to discussing essay outlines and providing feedback. The completed essay must be submitted to the instructor by email no later than 15 days before the relevant examination date.

 

Non-attending students will be evaluated on the basis of a viva voce examination.

 

Excellent grades (28–30) will be awarded for outstanding knowledge and understanding of the course material, strong critical and analytical skills, and the ability to develop clear, coherent, and persuasive arguments.

Good grades (23–27) will be awarded for a solid understanding of the course material, although with more limited conceptual development, critical analysis, or integration of the themes discussed throughout the course.

Satisfactory grades (18–22) will be awarded for a basic understanding of the course material, but with evident gaps in knowledge, limited critical engagement, and/or weak analytical skills.

Failing grades (below 18) will be assigned where there are substantial deficiencies in knowledge and understanding of the course material and/or serious weaknesses in critical thinking, analytical ability, and written argumentation.

During the 2026/2027 academic year, exam sessions are scheduled in the following months:

• one session in January 2027:

• one session in March 2027;

• one session in May 2027;

• one session in June 2027;

• one session in July 2027;

• one session in September 2027.

Please note: These are general indications. The final dates for each exam session will be published by the end of September 2026.

 

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Students with disabilities and Specific Learning Difficulties (SLD)

Students with disabilities or Specific Learning Difficulties have the right to special adjustments according to their condition, following an assessment by the Service for Students with Disabilities and SLD. Please do not contact the instructor but get in touch with the Service directly to schedule an appointment. It will be the responsibility of the Service to determine the appropriate adjustments. For more information, visit the page:

https://site.unibo.it/studenti-con-disabilita-e-dsa/en/for-students

It is recommended that students contact the University office in advance. Any proposed adjustments must be submitted at least 15 days in advance for the professor’s approval, who will evaluate their appropriateness in relation to the learning objectives of the course.

Teaching tools

Traditional lectures will be complemented by class discussions, debates, and other interactive formats. I will use a variety of tools to support teaching and foster active participation, including ppt presentations, paper handouts, and tools such as Wooclap.

Office hours

See the website of Pia Campeggiani