
The Politics of Reproduction
Mary O'Brien(Author)
Routledge (Publisher)
1st Edition
Published on 1. April 2025
Book
Hardback
252 pages
978-1-032-93147-0 (ISBN)
Description
First published in 1981, The Politics of Reproduction is a critique of traditional political thought. It focuses centrally upon the nature and difference of male and female experience of biological reproduction, and upon the impact of male reproductive experience on the theory and practice of politics.
Mary O'Brien presents a controversial revision of dialectical materialism, arguing that Marx, as a charter-member of an exclusively masculine tradition of political thought, could not provide the theoretical grounds for true social reformation. Only feminism, she argues, is currently a major progressive force in western history: the impact of reproductive technology on female consciousness is a world historical event which must be given theoretical and political expression.
The new model of historical process offered here, in preliminary form, gives due weight to the struggle of the sexes which has its historical reality in the separation of public and private life. The model is founded on an analysis of male-stream thought from the Athenian polis to our own day, and it makes possible a radical interpretation of contemporary women's experience that never lapses into either a historicism or simple rage.
Mary O'Brien presents a controversial revision of dialectical materialism, arguing that Marx, as a charter-member of an exclusively masculine tradition of political thought, could not provide the theoretical grounds for true social reformation. Only feminism, she argues, is currently a major progressive force in western history: the impact of reproductive technology on female consciousness is a world historical event which must be given theoretical and political expression.
The new model of historical process offered here, in preliminary form, gives due weight to the struggle of the sexes which has its historical reality in the separation of public and private life. The model is founded on an analysis of male-stream thought from the Athenian polis to our own day, and it makes possible a radical interpretation of contemporary women's experience that never lapses into either a historicism or simple rage.
Reviews / Votes
Reviews of the first publication:'Mary O'Brien's critique of de Beauvoir, Millett, Rowbotham, Reed, Arendt, strikes me as eminently fair and relevant. She is convincing in her demonstration of the patriarchalism of male political theory to date and of the need for correcting it by including female experience on the basis of the interdisciplinary approach. The book is feminist but noy "feminine". Its scholarship and erudition are impeccable.'
- Jessie Bernard
'This book is a complex, illuminating and important contribution to feminist theory...O' Brien's work shows us the conceptual framework we need for a scientific feminism that will transcend patriarchal intellectual traditions.'
- Sandra Harding and Shakuntala Byaya, Signs
'This volume is an eye-opener - quite unlike any other book I have read.'
- Wally Seccombe, Ontario Institute for Studies in Education
More details
Series
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Taylor & Francis Ltd
Target group
College/higher education
Postgraduate
Dimensions
Height: 216 mm
Width: 138 mm
Weight
630 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-032-93147-0 (9781032931470)
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Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
Mary O'Brien
The Politics of Reproduction
Book
06/2026
1st Edition
Routledge
€37.50
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Person
Mary O'Brien was a renowned philosopher, feminist scholar and Professor in the Department of Sociology in Education at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education. Besides her academic duties, O'Brien was highly involved in the feminist movement in Canada and was one of the founders of the Feminist Party of Canada in 1979.
Content
Introduction 1. The dialectics of reproduction 2. Sorry, we forgot your birthday 3. The public and private realms 4. Creativity and procreativity 5. Production and reproduction 6. Alienation and integration