The Classic Social Contractarians

Analysing the social contract theorists through the lens of contemporary feminist philosophy, this work focuses on the relationship between the 'self' and the law and examines how social contractarians have viewed this relationship.

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How can we live together without subordination and oppression? What does it mean to treat each other as free and equal persons? This book uses contemporary feminist insights to examine aspects of the classic social contractarians' arguments, focusing specifically upon the work of Hobbes, Spinoza, Locke, Rousseau and Kant. Considering the relationship between the 'self' and the law, this volume also looks at the points at issue between feminist political theorists and considers the usefulness of contractarian arguments for feminist politics today, together with an examination of the relationship between their political, legal and moral analyses.