The Philosophical Imaginary

by Michèle Le Dœuff, Colin Gordon (Translator)

A Stanford University Press classic.

Genres: Philosophy

First published June 1, 1990

About the author

Renowned French philosopher and playwright who teaches at the Ècole Normale Superieure in Paris. Her works, including The Philosophical Imaginary and The Sex of Knowing, challenge a philosophical tradition that privileges male rationality.

Reviews

[Gebo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating read. Explores the element of the imaginary in philosophic works--basically, the issue under exploration is the way that our schemas/ideologies cannot be fully separated from our intellectual works and as such, we have to be extremely careful to suss out the biases in our readings of things. I loved this book, and have so many things to say, but rather than ruin it for you: if you're interested in philosophy, post-structuralism, feminism, or philosophic history, you'll enjoy this book--though you may disagree with it, it'll push you to at least strengthen your own stance.

For the most part, a very clear text if you give it the time it deserves, which really isn't much because it's a pretty straightforward text (I wonder why feminist post-structuralists seem to be clearer than their male counter parts...).

[Nick · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting read if, like me, you're interested in how the images, metaphors, language and structure used by philosophers can, whether consciously or unconsciously, affect their argument and how that argument is understood.

Or if, also like me, you just like cutting put-downs - there's some amusing digs at various deserving targets.

[Diana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Actually, need to finish the rest of this.