Cfp: "Feminist Philosophy Made Simple," SWIP UK and International Association of Women in Philosophy, London, February 13, 2009.

Feminism claims women are oppressed, and aims to free them. Like any liberation movement, feminism is dogged by propaganda. But anti-feminist propaganda has been astonishingly effective. Despite endemic and persistent serious harms to women including abuse of girl-children, rape, domestic violence, economic, legal and political disadvantage, and despite centuries of work by feminists, most men and women today will say 'I'm not a feminist' or 'feminism goes too far'. The aim of this conference is to affirm the unity and simplicity of feminism in the face of the propaganda. The unity is captured well in Simone de Beauvoir's phrase 'absolute feminism', which points to necessity as well as unity. The liberation of women is necessary, not something a just society can do without. At the conference we will explore how the apparent complexity and diversity of feminism may be no more than a superficial effect of oppression. Feminists face sceptical, even hostile, standards of evidence and argument. They are expected not only prove there are problems, and suggest solutions. They are also expected to prove feminist solutions are possible, will work - and are not just covert attacks on men. In epistemic conditions like this, it is no wonder feminists modify their claims, distance themselves from each other, and make distinctions so fine they tend to paranoia. Pace the propaganda, feminism is simple. It needs just a couple of concepts to hold it together. At its core, it needs the idea that there are women, who are being harmed and need help. But it seems the propaganda has found a way to undermine even this most fundamental feminist idea. The concept 'gender' used to be a feminist tool for exposing the wrongs of sex roles. But it can also become a patriarchal Trojan horse, smuggling into the heart of feminism tools for the dismantling of the core concept, 'woman'. Proposals are invited for philosophical ways to re-affirm women, without affirming oppressive sex roles. Please send abstracts of up to 400 words by 9th January 2008 by email to soranreader@fastmail.fm with the title 'SWIP UK Spring 2009' in the header line. Please note this is a women-only event. Venue to be announced. For further information and updates see the SWIP UK website: http://www.dur.ac.uk/swipuk/ or the IAPh website http://www.iaph-philo.org/.