Patterns of Dissonance: A Study of Women and Contemporary Philosophy

Patterns of Dissonance brilliantly analyzes the complexissues raised by the relation between women and philosophy. Rosi Braidotti first demonstrates that contemporary male French philosophers rely on a largely metaphorical notion of the "feminine" in their undermining of classical thought. Braidotti next examines the attempts of feminist thinkers in Europe and the U.S. to both subvert the universalizing claims of male theorists. Finally, she discusses the contributions of Luce Irigary, Mary Daly and Michele le Doeuff to the understanding of sexual difference.