Metaphysics

This chapter introduces some central issues and themes in feminist philosophical engagements with metaphysics. It provides an outline of what feminist metaphysics typically deals with and how to understand what this putative sub-discipline of metaphysics aims to achieve. One issue that has been increasingly discussed is whether feminist and “mainstream” metaphysics are compatible. The paper considers this question and examines whether one prominent strand of contemporary analytic metaphysics, Frank Jackson’s “serious metaphysics,” undermines feminist metaphysics. In so doing, the paper first presents in more detail themes central to feminist metaphysics. Next it outlines Jackson’s view. Finally, the paper will consider the compatibility of feminist and “serious” metaphysics, concluding that feminist metaphysics both is and is not compatible with Jackson’s metaphysics, depending on how we understand his project. Nevertheless, the paper suggests that this may not be because feminist metaphysicians are misguided in some sense; rather, issues internal to Jackson’s view generate the gap.