Sex and Social Justice

Martha Nussbaum articulates a distinctive concept of feminism, rooted in the liberal tradition of political thought, but responsive to radical feminist critiques of that tradition. She maps out a feminism that is concerned with global justice and with the urgent needs of women who live in hunger or illiteracy, or under inherently unequal legal systems. In other chapters she discusses equal rights for lesbians and gay men, addresses the feminist concept of objectification, and argues for the importance of sympathy and mercy within a feminist conception of justice. She draws on previously published work, but this has been revised extensively for this volume.