Description: Political philosophy and feminist theory have rarely examined in detail how capitalism affects the lives of women. Ann Cudd and Nancy Holmstrom take up opposing sides of the issue, debating whether capitalism is valuable as an ideal and whether as an actually existing economic system it is good for women. In a discussion covering a broad range of social and economic issues, including unequal pay, industrial reforms and sweatshops, they examine how these and other issues relate to women and how effectively to analyze what constitutes 'capitalism' and 'women's interests'. Each author also responds to the opposing arguments, providing a thorough debate of the topics covered. The resulting volume will interest a wide range of readers in philosophy, political theory, women's studies and global affairs.
Brief description: Ann E. Cudd is Professor of Philosophy and Associate Dean for Humanities, University of Kansas. She is the author of Analyzing Oppression (2006), and co-edited (with Anita Superson) Theorizing Backlash (2002) and (with Robin Andreason) Feminist Theory (2005).
Review Quotes: "... lively and well-written contributions draw on and deploy many arguments and distinctions familiar within contemporary political philosophy, set out in a pleasingly non-technical fashion ... this book could serve as an introduction to a range of contemporary debates, not only concerning the definition and fortunes of capitalism, but also the analysis of freedom, the justification of private property, and the difficulties of collective rationality, among other key issues ... an excellent account of the issues."
Jonathan Wolff, Notre Dame Philosophical Reviews