Inessential Woman

by Elizabeth V. Spelman

Throughout history, Western philosophers have buried women's characters under the category of "men's nature." Feminist theorists, responding to this exclusion, have often been guilty of this exlcusion as well – focusing only on white, middle-class women and treating others as inessential. Inessential Woman is an eloquent argument against white, middle-class bias in feminist theory. It warns against trying to seperate feminist thinking and politics from issues of race and class, and challenges the assumption of homogeneity that underlies much of feminist thought.

Genres: Feminism, Nonfiction, Philosophy, Gender, Feminist Theory

240 pages, Paperback

First published March 1, 1990

Reviews

[Quin Rich · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although very much a product of its time, this book remains an important and (unfortunately) highly relevant into the white solipsism inherent in much mainstream feminist thought. Laying bear many of the often unspoken assumptions underlying much of what passes for feminist theorizing, Spelman reveals how the "question of difference" to which white feminists often refer is really a "problem of privilege," namely white, middle-class women's privilege of defining themselves as women simpliciter. To be sure, there are other works (in particular those by women of color feminists) that speak more directly to the racism, classism, heterosexism, cissexism, ableism, and nativis which is regularly central to hegemonic feminist theory. Further, these works seek to center the lived histories of women of color, among others, rather than simply trying to reveal the abstract axioms which support white feminist thinking. That said, the text is compelling for those among us who enjoy reading and critiquing feminist theory, and it is a valuable text for white feminists who are less knowledgeable about/more resistant to intersectional and anti-racist modes for feminist thought and praxis. This latter group might be convinced to abandon the single-focus, hierarchy reinforcing, nominally "feminist" paradigms which sadly remain so central to what passes for feminism, both inside and outside the academy.

Other texts that might suit the needs and interests of those seeking to cultivate an intersectional feminist consciousness are Black Feminist Thought by Patricia Hill Collins, Feminism is for Everybody by bell hooks, Sister Outsider and Zami by Audre Lorde, Borderlands/La Frontera by Gloria Anzaldua, Killing the Black Body by Dorothy Roberts, Conquest by Andrea Smith, and Women, Race, & Class by Angela Y. Davis.

One caveat about this text is that it contains a number of cissexist comments that are offensive and frankly unnecessary. This is particularly disappointing because Spelman hints several times as lines of inquiry that might have challenged gender binarist, cissexist, and transmisogynistic thinking. In fact, she even argues at one point that women might not all have the same gender identity(!). One wonders what might have been had she pushed her thinking further on these questions; the book would have been much stronger for it. It might be argued that "trans* issues were not on the feminist radar when the book was written," and while that might be technically true it's a cop-out and directly contradicts both the spirit and the message of Spelman's book, which is that exclusionary thinking in mainstream feminist thought is not the result of simple ignorance or a historical accident, but is instead purposefully built into the theory so as to maintain the power and privilege of those who write it.

[Rose · Rating 4 out of 5]

Plato crossover episode was a highlight

[Samantha Nagle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow.

[Rahel]

An interesting look at the internal life of a woman in Beirut for whom routine gives essence.