Feminist Philosophy Reader by Alison Bailey and Chris Cuomo Coursework

Feminist Philosophy Reader by Alison Bailey and Chris Cuomo - Coursework Example The second section of the book mostly deals with issues pertaining to sex and gender. This section includes an essay from the now famous work by Simone de Beauvoir – the Second sex, which provides an insightful analysis into what makes the female different from the male from the emotional and psychological standpoint3. It also includes an essay by Judith Halberstam, which deals with transgender, i.e, the confusion that arises from being one gender trapped in the body of the other gender4. Anne Fausto Sterling’s essay also deals with the issue of transvestites and questions whether there should be such a strict delineation between the two genders5. These two articles differ from Beauvoir’s essay, which is primarily centered on the expression of a female identity, while the other two essays mentioned here deal with the identity crises faced by those women who are trapped in men’s bodies and vice versa. Yet another essay in this section, written by Oyeronke, deals with sex and gender from the African perspective and how Western theories may not always be relevant to African subjects6. 2. Section Five of the Book focuses on the political perspectives and implications associated with feminism and philosophy. It includes six essays by various authors. Spivak has dealt with the postcolonial approach to reason and in general, has rejected mainstream colonial literature in her analysis of feminist questions. She suggests that the values of theorists such as Marx and Kant are more relevant in today’s context.