The Political Conditions for Free Agency. The Case of Mary Wollstonecraft
(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:
https://lup.lub.lu.se/record/2219811
- author
- Halldenius, Lena LU
- organization
- publishing date
- 2013
- 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}}, }