Feminist Methodology and Doing Ontology
When
Title: Feminist Methodology and Doing Ontology
Abstract: There seems to be a tension in the way that feminist deflationists do ontology. Classically, deflationists have been committed to the idea that all metaphysical languages are objectively on a par. But feminists do not similarly endorse this: we tend to think that some metaphysical languages are objectively worse than others, when it comes to answering questions in the ontology of gender, sexuality, class, and so on. These bad languages are, generally, the unjust ones. And so, on a point where classical deflationists are characteristically neutral, feminists are anything but. Why, then, are so many feminists also ontological deflationists?
In this talk I address the apparent tension here. I argue it can be resolved, but also, that this exercise illuminates something important about the role of normativity on feminist deflationary frameworks. In particular, it reveals that feminist deflationists are committed to the idea that some metaphysical languages are morally privileged over others. I argue that this has consequences for our methodological responsibilities when it comes to conducting ontological inquiry from within this framework.
For those unable to attend, there will be a Zoom link available here.