Equal Citizenship and Public Reason: A Feminist Political Liberalism [Paperback]

This book is a defense of political liberalism as a feminist liberalism. The first half of the book develops and defends a novel interpretation of political liberalism. It is argued that political liberals should accept a restrictive account of public reason and that political liberals' account of public justification is superior to the leading alternative, the convergence account of public justification. The view is defended from the charge that such a restrictive account of public reason will unduly threaten or undermine the integrity of some religiously oriented citizens and an account of when political liberals can recognize exemptions, including religious exemptions, from generally applicable laws is offered. In the second half of the book, it is argued that political liberalism's core commitments restrict all reasonable conceptions of justice to those that secure genuine, substantive equality for women and other marginalized groups. Here it is demonstrated how public reason arguments can be used to support law and policy needed to address historical sites of women's subordination in order to advance equality; prostitution, the gendered division of labor and marriage, in particular, are considered.

Introduction

Part One: Equal Citizenship and Public Reason
1. The Role of Ideal Theory
2. The Moral Foundation of Public Justification and Public Reason
3. Exclusive Public Reason
4. Integrity and the Case for Restraint
5. Religious Exemptions

Part Two: Feminist Political Liberalism
6. Is a Feminist Political Liberalism Possible?
7. Prostitution and Public Reason
8. Social Norms, Choice and Work
9. Marriage

Conclusion
Bibliography
Index

Lori Watsonis Professor and Chair of Philosophy and Affiliated Faculty with the School of Law at the University of San Diego. She is co-author of A Concise Introduction to Logic, 13th ed. (witlĂ3