Feminism and the Mastery of Nature

Val Plumwood teaches in the Department of Philosophy at the University of Tasmania, Australia.

• Introduction; Chapter 1 Feminism and ecofeminism; Chapter 2 Dualism: the logic of colonisation; Chapter 3 Plato and the philosophy of death; Chapter 4 Descartes and the dream of power; Chapter 5 Mechanism and mind/nature dualism; Chapter 6 Ethics and the instrumentalising self; Chapter 7 Deep ecology and the denial of difference; Conclusion: Changing the Master Story; Notes;

'This book is path-breaking systematically extending the feminist critique of international locking dualisms in Western philosophy to argue that the domination of nature flows from them as much as the domination of race, gender and class.' - Environmental Politics'Puncturing the myth of 'the angel in the ecosystem', Plumwood aims to develop a genuinely critical ecological feminism. Her book is lively, intelligent and politically shrewd.' - Nancy Fraser, Northwestern University'I began by saying that Feminism and the Mastery of Nature should shake the conceptual structures of philosophy to their foundations. I am convinced it can do this. Plumwood does a stunning job of showing us how deep the habits of mastery are buried in our rational life ... I can't wait for her next book' - Patsy Hallen, Australian Journal of Philosophy'Val Plumwood's lucid, intelligent and beautifully written Feminism and the Mastery of Nature should be an enriching experience and a source of academically rigourous arguement for philosophy students and graduates...because the author combines the intellectual capacity to see all the complexities of an issue with the writing skill to identify and explain them clearly, in language that's simple without being simplistic, it's a valuable and useful book.' - Phoebe Thorndyke, Chain Reaction'I found all but four pages of Plumwood's book to be accessible, valuable and even witty.' - Greta Gaard, Environmental Ethics'Now, for the first time, in Val Plumwood's Feminism and the Mastery of Nature, a clear well crafted, academic analysis of ecofeminism is presented which refutes many of the misconceptions of ecofeminism and which makes a persuasive arguement for ecofeminism as a valuable philosophy.' - Cat Cox, The Ecologist