FEMINIST THOUGHT

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Liberal Feminism
Liberalism, the school of political thought from which liberal feminism has
evolved, is in the process of reconceptualizing, reconsidering, and restructuring
itself. 1 Because this transformation is well under way, it is difficult to
determine the precise status of liberal feminist thought. Therefore, if we
wish to gauge the accuracy of Susan Wendell’s provocative claim that liberal
feminism has largely outgrown its original base, 2 we must first understand
the assumptions of both classical and welfare liberalism. It may turn out
that liberal feminists are “liberal” only in some ways.
Conceptual Roots of Liberal Feminist Thought and Action
In Feminist Politics and Human Nature, 3 Alison Jaggar observed that liberal political
thought generally locates our uniqueness as human persons in our capacity
for rationality. The belief that reason distinguishes us from other animals is,
however, relatively uninformative, so liberals have attempted to define reason
in various ways, stressing either its moral aspects or its prudential aspects. When
reason is defined as the ability to comprehend the rational principles of morality,
then the value of individual autonomy is stressed. In contrast, when reason
is defined as the ability to determine the best means to achieve some desired
end, then the value of self-fulfillment is stressed. 4
Whether liberals define reason largely in moral or prudential terms, they
nevertheless concur that a just society allows individuals to exercise their
autonomy and to fulfill themselves. Liberals claim that the “right” must be
given priority over the “good.” 5 In other words, our entire system of individual
rights is justified because these rights constitute a framework within which
we can all choose our own separate goods, provided we do not deprive others
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