Thinking The Difference

by Luce Irigaray

In Thinking The Difference, Luce Irigaray examines the ways in which women are failed by the cultural, political and legal institutions set up to protect and preserve, regardless of sex. Here Irigaray addresses the civil domain--where women's bodies, nature, space, symbolism and representation are appropriated by "the people of men"-- --and the need for concrete changes so that women may share in culture as women themselves, thereby gaining an as-yet-unfound full citizenship in the world.

Genres: Feminism

132 pages, Paperback

First published August 9, 1994

About the author

Luce Irigaray is a Belgian-born French feminist, philosopher, linguist, psycholinguist, psychoanalyst and cultural theorist. She is best known for her works Speculum of the Other Woman and This Sex Which Is Not One. Presently, she is active in the Women's Movements in both France and Italy.

Reviews

[olivia mason · Rating 4 out of 5]

“The rights women have gained in the last few years…. enable them to slip into men’s skin, to take on the so called male identity. These rights do not solve the problems of their rights and duties as women towards themselves, their children, other women, men and society.” - first of luce irigaray’s works ive read and it’s lit - discussion of greek gods, Antigone (my fave), women’s civil status, and the denigration of matriarchal ancestry < patriarchal ancestry.

“Nowadays, any other thought of a possible future, any project that goes beyond what already exists or the criticism of the past is immediately deemed mystical, or utopian, or demagogic. Especially if it comes from a woman?” - this was written in 1993 and i think is truer than ever, we are so scared of change that doesn’t have precedent

[Diana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Profound - go back to it over and over again. My favorite chapter is the last one: The Forgotten Mystery of Female Ancestry. It has become the foundation for my own poetry collection. I really do love Irigaray! One of my goals is to go to a conference one day that she's attending or speaking at. Hero-worship happens in academia, too - yes, we're geeks.

[Rebekka · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the second of Irigaray's work that I've read and is much easier to read. First published in France in 1989, I find it very relatable to see my own thoughts on Western religion and female identity written so much better than what I could do right now. I also kept thinking how this book would fit so perfectly on the bookshelves of those with Pagan ideologies.