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The Political Conditions for Free Agency. The Case of Mary Wollstonecraft

Halldenius, Lena LU (2013) p.227-243
Abstract
In this chapter it is argued that the feminist pioneer Mary Wollstonecraft regarded moral agency as an exercise of freedom; a person who is unfree cannot perform acts that are moral in the proper sense. There are three aspects to this deprivation: first, the psychological effects of oppression; second, processes of deliberation and reasons for action, and third, the moral character of an act, such that moral acts are characterized by being performed freely. This interpretation has radical implications for Wollstonecraft’s feminism since it means that women’s lack of freedom strips them of the capacity to be moral agents.
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
organization
publishing date
type
Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Wollstonecraft, politics, morality, freedom, independence, person, act, oppression, psychology, deliberation, reasons, agency
host publication
Freedom and the Construction of Europe. Volume II Free Persons and Free States
editor
Skinner, Quentin and van Gelderen, Martin
pages
227 - 243
publisher
Cambridge University Press
ISBN
978-1-107-03307-8
project
Mary Wollstonecraft and Feminist Republicanism
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
cbf4742a-786c-49d3-9c7e-2eace0fae4fa (old id 2219811)
date added to LUP
2016-04-04 10:24:42
date last changed
2018-11-21 20:58:37
@inbook{cbf4742a-786c-49d3-9c7e-2eace0fae4fa,
  abstract     = {{In this chapter it is argued that the feminist pioneer Mary Wollstonecraft regarded moral agency as an exercise of freedom; a person who is unfree cannot perform acts that are moral in the proper sense. There are three aspects to this deprivation: first, the psychological effects of oppression; second, processes of deliberation and reasons for action, and third, the moral character of an act, such that moral acts are characterized by being performed freely. This interpretation has radical implications for Wollstonecraft’s feminism since it means that women’s lack of freedom strips them of the capacity to be moral agents.}},
  author       = {{Halldenius, Lena}},
  booktitle    = {{Freedom and the Construction of Europe. Volume II Free Persons and Free States}},
  editor       = {{Skinner, Quentin and van Gelderen, Martin}},
  isbn         = {{978-1-107-03307-8}},
  keywords     = {{Wollstonecraft; politics; morality; freedom; independence; person; act; oppression; psychology; deliberation; reasons; agency}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  pages        = {{227--243}},
  publisher    = {{Cambridge University Press}},
  title        = {{The Political Conditions for Free Agency. The Case of Mary Wollstonecraft}},
  year         = {{2013}},
}