Liberal Feminism and Cultural Critique

Abstract

In this paper, I consider an objection that liberal feminism is unable to sufficiently accommodate feminist cultural critique. I begin by introducing the practice of feminist cultural critique and how this practice presents a challenge to liberal feminism’s ability to be simultaneously liberal and feminist. I then discuss one account which attempts to draw a distinction between “legitimacy” and “ethos” justice, which can accommodate feminist cultural critique as a persuasive tool to advance ethos justice. I find that this account, however, is not equipped to explain cases where feminist cultural critique aims to produce coercive government intervention. After doing this, I turn to an account which argues that the realm of acceptable government action is broader under the Rawlsian liberal framework than previously believed. By applying these accounts to the issue of feminist cultural critique, I demonstrate that the liberal feminist can accommodate the practice while being both liberal and feminist.