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Karen J. Warren: Ecological Feminist Philosophies. Bloomington, Indianapolis: Indiana University Press, 1996.
This collection of papers, based on the 1991 Hypathia edition on ecological feminism (with some additional chapters), comprises a useful reader on ecological feminist ethics and philosophy. The various contributions to the volume examine the potential of ecofeminist theory in such fields as ethics, epistemology, literature, philosophy of science and political action, while identifying the character of ecofeminism both as a distinct feminist critique and as an eco-philosophical school.
What is the nature of ecofeminist theory? One set of answers focuses on the theory's practical appeal. Stephanie Lahar claims that as a critique of current social and political institutions, ecofeminist theory supports grassroots political resistance, but that it must now focus on a reconstructive moral theory. Such a theory, Chris Cuomo suggests in her contribution, should follow Dewey's call for pragmatism and incorporate activists' own narratives. She identifies the work of ACT-UP and The Lesbian Avengers in the U.S. as examples of direct action work informed by a critique of interlocking systems of oppression. Another set of answers distinguishes an ecofeminist position on the women-nature connection, which Catherine Roach suggests is perpetuated by the "love your mother" approach used by the environmental movement. However, she claims that to date feminist theory has failed to overcome the culture vs. nature/woman dichotomy,...