From a Marxist Feminist Point of View

Nancy Holmstrom, Ph.D 1970, University of Michigan, Professor of Philosophy Emerita, Rutgers University-Newark. A lifelong activist, she has published numerous articles on core political-philosophical topics, edited The Socialist-Feminist Project (MR2002) and co-authored Capitalism For and Against: A Feminist Debate (Cambridge 2011).

Acknowledgements



Introduction

 1 Modes of Production

 2 Rationality

 3 Freedom

 4 Human Nature/Women’s Nature



Part 1 Modes of Production



1 Developing Marx’s Mode of Production Theory



2 Varieties of Marxist/Socialist Feminist Theory and Practice

 1 Varieties of Socialist Feminism: One System or Two

 2 What Is a ‘System?’

 3 Intersectionality

 4 A Framework Model—One Non-reductive System



3 Sex, Work and Capitalism

 1 Introduction

 2 What Is Sex Work?

 3 Political/Economic Context

 4 Empowerment vs. Power, Agency and Freedom

 5 A ‘Work Ethic instead of a Sex Ethic?’

 6 Is Sex Special?

 7 What Is To Be Done?



4 Women’s Work, the Family and Capitalism



5 Democratic Socialism for a Finite World

 1 ‘Democracy’

 2 ‘Socialism’

 3 Democracy as the END of Socialism

 4 Democracy as the MEANS to Socialism

 5 Why Democratic Socialism Is ECOSOCIALIST

 6 Why Democratic Socialism Is FEMINIST



Part 2 Rationality



6 Rationality and Revolution



7 For a Sustainable Future: The Centrality of Public Goods

 1 Rethinking Property and Rationality: From the Individual to the Collective

 2 Property

 3 Rationality

 4 From Common Sense to Common Practice: Struggles around Public Goods



Part 3 Freedom



8 Free Will and a Marxist Concept of Natural Wants



9 Against Capitalism from a Feminist Point of View

 1 Basic Definitions: ‘Capitalism’ and ‘Women’s Interests’

 2 Gender interests: Strategic and Practical

 3 Capitalism in Theory: Ideals and Limits

 4 Capitalism in Reality



Part 4 Human Nature/Women’s Nature



10 A Marxist Theory of Women’s Nature



11 Humankind(s)



12 Alienation, Freedom and Human Nature



Bibliography

Index