Sex and Power: Can Ideology Critique be Empowering?

Lecture by Sally Haslanger.

Historically, power has been conceived as a dyadic relation between two individuals: A has power over B. In recent decades, however, social theorists have argued that power is not just an instrument of control that some individuals have and others lack, but is part of the social field for all social agents. This paper considers how this structural account of power might be employed in understanding sex/gender domination, in particular, and what is needed to empower agents to disrupt gender as we know it and envision new possibilities.

Sally Haslanger holds a chair for philosophy and women’s and gender studies at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Her research focusses on social construction and ideology.

Recent publications:

Joshua Glasgow, Sally Haslanger, Chike Jeffers, and Quayshawn Spencer. 2019 „What Is Race? Four Philosophical Views“. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Sally Haslanger. 2019. „Der Realität widerstehen – Soziale Konstruktion und Sozialkritik“. Trans. by Daniel James. Frankfurt am Main: Suhrkamp.

Robin Celikates, Sally Haslanger, and Jason Stanley. Forthcoming. „Ideology: New Essays“. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

The lecture takes place at:
Department of Philosophy (Neues Institutsgebäude)
Lecture room 2i, 2nd floor

See for a plan of the department.

(Photo by Shane Rounce on Unsplash.)