#feminist ethics

[ngaatee]

For the People Academia Breaks

Hey so I am going to get something off of my chest. Last year I got a postgraduate degree in philosophy and it was actually one of the most devastating experiences of my entire life.

I have always been someone with big ideas, and my favourite aspect of philosophy has always been the way that I can blend different ideas to address current issues, especially if something about those ideas sometimes veer into using my imagination. So when we got to choose our thesis topics, I jumped to do something ambitious, something impressive, something grand. And it was. I posed the following question: What would an African feminist ethic say about posthumanism and transhumanism as it pertains to the right to bodily integrity?

This question meant the world to me. It means the world to me. There was so much to get into, so many ideas, and so little published philosophical work on each section of the question. It was quintessentially me.

Ambitious, important and interesting. And I did fucking do it. I didn't get the high grade that I had hoped for, but I got a high enough average should I pursue further higher education, I had gotten a high grade for a concept I essentially invented and built from the ground up, and I had yet another fucking degree after a year plagued by illness, piss poor mental health, worse financial management and not a damn clue what I would do next.

I had also excelled in my other classes and so I was going to take the win and move on. I was in a space where what mattered to me was that I had what I needed for the next steps. Academia career, and somehow reforming education, those have been my goals forever, So I had my grades and set out to get reference letters and one person I asked was my supervisor. And that, dear reader, was when it all went to shit and my mental health sunk to a new low.

My supervisor and I had not had major conflict but I was ready to move on for a variety of reasons. I had tutored one of her classes and had reservations about her methodology and when opportunities for feedback came, I was as honest but diplomatic as possible. I was not the lecturer. When she became my supervisor I had looked in the guide and I had thought that she was going to be the right fit. But in some ways I always felt that my work was not my own, and often times my work became a site of ego. But it could have been worse so I was going to move on and take those lessons to do things differently next time.

So I emailed her, was happy to have the grades for a future in academia and asked for the referral. She emailed me and gave me unsolicited feedback and then openly stated that a section of my work "surprised her, and not in a good way". I will be frank, it disgusted me. I read it and my skin crawled because she had been a less than stellar supervisor, including being angered when I got an extension after my hospitalization, threatening to not even give me a grade, when the HEAD OF THE DEPARTMENT granted me one.

I was a star pupil, with the exploratory ideas to back it up, and consistently she undermined me and I forgave her every time because of how badly I wanted it. And then in the last moment, after I toiled on a thesis and made it through with a high GPA, she could not let me be happy. She could not let me rejoice that every single day last year felt like I was taking my dying breath, And she could not be the kind of supervisor that deserved my bright ideas, my desire to learn, my ambition. I was told that I should prep a version of my paper for a conference and she never had the time to help me, everyday there was an excuse, and I still made it, and she could not just let us be cordial and move on.

That thesis I did is my first child. I laboured, I read, and I thought it through, and I was willing to accept the imperfections that came in my crafting of it because it was powerful and meaningful. I am an African woman, concerned with how we understand our autonomy and our bodies and what that means in a greater philosophical context. I chose a thesis that meant something to me, and I used whatever philosophical building blocks I could to bring it together, and achieved a feat that people thought might be impossible for me. And I am damn proud of it. And in that email, my supervisor didn't care because she felt embarrassed or something.

I have spent a year being angry. How dare she? Especially since academia puts certain kinds of constraints on work and even with those constraints, I made lemonade out of lemons. In fact, I made lemonade out of rocks. And I have grieved and been sad and it has broken my spirit remembering the disdain in that email. And then the later email with the reference letter where I discover that after all this time, my supervisor knows nothing about me.

She doesn't know my worth, she doesn't know how much her class benefitted from having me as a tutor, and my fellow tutor too. She doesn't know anything that other institutions would love about me. Her colleagues do though. They gave me beautiful letters that reflected my passion, honesty, and integrity, and I felt seen. I wish that I had gotten one of them to be my supervisor, I just didn't know any better, it was a new university, a new city, with new people. But my thesis, my baby, would have been so much safer and cared for in their hands.

But I am not ending it like that. I have started to embark on a multimedia art project revisiting and expanding my thesis and I am explaining different philosophical and sociological concepts that are relevant to it as I go along. Because my thesis belongs to me. My ideas belong to me. And the projections of my supervisor, and the painful memories that are attached to it for me will not under any circumstances, end with her defining my thesis for me.

My thesis is my baby, my child and I am proud of it. Its words live in me, its ideas still are a fixation in my mind, and now I have what it takes to really bring it to the next level. And so I will. I do not just love my thesis as a cute baby that people admire and call beautiful. I love my thesis as a petulant older child that sometimes struggles to string ideas that are linked but in ways that are not obvious. I love my thesis as a teenager lost in despair trying to reconcile how a society functions and the philosophies and ideologies that underpin it, the teenager reading social and political thought for the first time. I love my thesis as the young adult that has more questions than answers. I love my thesis as all of the people I have been and whom I will be.

Academia broke my heart. and it devastated many people befor me. But many ideas are worth exploring. Many ideas are worth cradling in a warm blanket and developing over time. Your ideas and mine, are worth so much more than the egos and power of people around us, and they do not get to rob our work of its dignity. And we do not have to leave the brilliance of our thoughts with the memories of people who never cared to understand them. And so I am coming back for my child, I am returning for my thesis. Because I am willing to spend time with it, and nurture it, and develop it. I am ready for it to one day be in the world and standing on its own.

The words of my thesis live in me, but the words of my thesis will live beyond me. And so as I drawm paint, photograph and write for this multimedia art project. As the young mother of this thesis and this combination of ideas, I will be raw and approach it with care, consideration and thoughtfulness. and hopefully, my thesis will find the right people who are interested in philosophy, sociology and the arts. Because this thesis will always be my baby, and I hope it meets people that love it and see it for what it is, the way that I do.

I dedicate this multimedia art project to the people whose first heartbreak was being alienated from their ideas in service of other people's desires. May you always find your way back to that child who wondered so much about the world, and was eager to learn more.

#philosophy #african n ethics #feminist ethics #academia #academic validation #higher education #burn out #thesis #multimedia art project #posthumanism #transhumanism #sociology #social sciences #I feel free now

[childlessoldcatlady]

Today in my ethical issues class (it's the first day of class) one of the questions up for debate was "Is it ethical to purchase sex work?"

The first to raise a hand was a guy in the back who basically said "I think it's unethical to do that to yourself as a man, speaking only in terms of men and women, because as a man you don't NEED sex every time you have the desire for it- sex is about human intimacy and emotions, and going so far as to waste your financial resources to buy sex from a stranger is degrading to your self worth." (I paraphrased what he said). Then I was allowed to give a well rounded and to-the-point spiel on why it was impossible for SW to be ethical for all of our usual radfem reasons, and was met with agreement from the full class. There were a few reasonable questions about purchasing people's "work" and "supporting their work" and how that plays into that, especially with the rise of OF, but in the end the entire class seemed satisfied with my explanations for everything (for my Americans, this is a 2000-level ethics class-intro stuff). Most of the students are taking it for their ethics requirement, and they're all like 18-20 years old. The professor is a gay/bisexual man who offered an explanation of why people might have sex for reasons outside of Deep Emotional Intimacy (like gay men only being able to fleetingly meet in secret and express themselves, etc).

Overall, it just filled me with a lot of hope to see so many young people readily accept what is to us something that is rather obvious, like they found it intuitive, despite growing up in our p0rnified culture and being exposed to it as children like all of us were. It also made me realize that we aren't crazy, like, we know all of this "sex work is work!" stuff is just Orwellian mantras being shoved down our throats, because we KNOW the degrading words used for p0rn stars and other "workers", and the only people who want to buy any of that are people (m*n lmao) who hate women. You have to hate women, fundamentally I think, to have a genuine desire to purchase "sex work". You know what it is, I know what it is- we all know what it is. A room full of young adults at a liberal college knows what it is, even the male ones. The "sex work" industry would die without the hatred of women.

#radfem safe #radblr #gender critical #radfems please interact #radfem #radfems welcome #radfems do touch #radfems do interact #philosophy #radical feminist safe #ethics

[deadaldipshit-jpg]

let's get one thing straight. Annabeth Chase would not be a swiftie or even listen to Taylor swift

#if u need me to elaborate i will #but you cant convince me that annabeth would ever support a white 'feminist' who only says it when its convenient #weaponises her fanbase when she gets made fun of #and so much more #and annabeth or any of the others would never support a fucking billionare #cause there will never be an ethical billionare #cause if you had morals and ethics and empathy #you would have never had enough to be a billionare #annabeth chase #percy jackson #pjo #percy jackson and the olympians #anti taylor swift

[lilithism1848]

#radical feminism #communism #socialism #anti capitalism #anarchy #leftism #feminism #fuck the patriarchy #misandry #sexism #liberal feminism #womens rights #intersectional feminism #radical feminist theory #radical feminists do interact #tweet #intelligence #disease #ethics #radical feminist community #radical feminists do touch #radical feminist safe #child care

[intersectionalpraxis]

They’re also a Sudanese-owned business 🥰 #KeepEyesOnSudan #LiberateSudan [@/ Kandakat_alhaqq on X. 01/06/24.]

Support Sudan and buy from them, they donate 100% of their proceeds to Sudan

First donations batch received. ✔️

To order: Elrayah Apparel [@/ mazinb_ on X.]

#feminist #feminism #social justice #free sudan #liberate sudan #keep eyes on sudan #sudan #eyes on sudan #local business #support local #support local businesses #instagram #ethical fashion #sudanese #donations

[they-are-a-prolife-autist]

If we as a society have no protection for the weak and vulnerable, no tolerance for the dependent and disabled, and no reverence for the beginning of human, we must accept that we are a society of ableist, ageist, classist, eugenicists, and at least become consistent with our values. If human life suddenly becomes worth protecting and preserving only when not reliant on another person for aid and support, can prochoicers please stop pretending to care about accommodation for disabled people? Especially if they’re gonna turn around and be fine with the fact that abortion has wiped out 80 percent of Down syndrome babies each year, and that without selective abortion the Down syndrome population would be 217,000 people greater in 50 years, and increase which is more than the current Down syndrome population .

#pro life #i am the prolife generation #prolife #prolife feminist #womens rights #actually autistic #roe v wade #politics #prolife feminism #ablism #abortion culture is ableist #down syndrome #abortion is not healthcare #consistent life ethic

[egalitarianchica]

Another great CLE graphic by FCLNY!

#pro life #consistent life ethic #pro life feminist #pro life feminism

[rollercoasterwords]

clearly i got a lil too into ur taylor swift hate because i was at my work (a v large company) and the ceo was speaking to my dept and was asked what celebrities she would would want to eat din with. and she goes taylor swift but no, not bc she likes the music but bc of THE WAY SHE HAS CAPITALIZED ON MUSIC INNOVATED THE WAY TO MAKE MONEY FROM NEW MARKETS 🤦‍♀️.

and then i thought of ur blog and laughed a lil. which was prob not a good look for me. but still..it made me giggle in the the middle of my hellisb work day. because i was like. even business execs recognize ts for her role in capitalist culture.

i mean she’s certainly not wrong!! taylor swift is a great businesswomen too bad that part of her business strategy is portraying herself as a feminist martyr so that all unethical action which comes w her sort of success is supposedly beyond reproach…i mean not like u can hoard that level of wealth at all ethically imo but it’s just extra annoying 2 see people call someone actively destroying the planet w her private jet a girlboss am i right fellas….haha…ok they are coming 2 draw & quarter me now ily goodbye <3

#will use tags 2 reiterate: idc if u like ts or her music etc #quality of her music is a separate question from whether her business practices & lifestyle choices r ethical #i simply think it’s silly 2 act like she’s some groundbreaking feminist…. #ask

[omegaphilosophia]

Theories of The Philosophy of Peace

The philosophy of peace is a complex field that explores the nature of peace, its principles, and the conditions required to achieve it. Here are some prominent theories and perspectives within the philosophy of peace:

Pacifism: Pacifism is a foundational theory of peace, emphasizing non-violence and the rejection of war as a means of resolving conflicts. It includes various subcategories, such as absolute pacifism (opposition to all forms of violence) and conditional pacifism (accepting non-violent resistance but opposing armed conflict).

Just War Theory: This theory, rooted in ethical philosophy, provides a framework for determining when wars can be morally justifiable. It sets criteria for the initiation and conduct of wars and emphasizes proportionality and the protection of non-combatants.

Positive Peace: Positive peace goes beyond the absence of war and focuses on the presence of conditions that contribute to a just and sustainable peace. It considers socio-economic equity, social justice, human rights, and environmental sustainability as essential components of lasting peace.

Conflict Resolution Theories: These theories aim to resolve conflicts through non-violent means. They include negotiation, mediation, diplomacy, and alternative dispute resolution methods. The works of scholars like Johan Galtung and his "positive and negative peace" concept contribute to this field.

Cosmopolitanism: Cosmopolitanism promotes a global perspective that transcends national boundaries. It suggests that a sense of shared humanity can lead to a more peaceful world by emphasizing global citizenship and cooperation among nations.

Feminist Peace Theory: Feminist perspectives on peace challenge traditional notions of masculinity and warfare. They argue for the inclusion of women's voices in peace processes and highlight the links between gender equality, security, and peace.

Transitional Justice: This theory focuses on addressing the legacies of conflict and human rights abuses in post-conflict societies. It explores mechanisms for accountability, truth-telling, reconciliation, and reparations to establish a foundation for lasting peace.

Human Rights-Based Approaches: These approaches assert that peace and human rights are intertwined. They emphasize the protection of individual rights as a prerequisite for achieving and maintaining peace.

Gandhian Philosophy: Inspired by Mahatma Gandhi's principles of non-violence and civil disobedience, this philosophy advocates for peaceful resistance as a means to challenge injustice and oppressive regimes.

Global Governance: Global governance theories explore the role of international institutions, such as the United Nations, in promoting peace and stability at the global level. They propose mechanisms for collective decision-making and conflict resolution.

Conflict Transformation: This approach views conflicts as opportunities for positive change and transformation. It seeks to address the underlying causes of conflicts and create conditions for lasting peace by changing the dynamics between parties involved.

Ethical and Religious Perspectives: Many ethical and religious traditions offer insights into the philosophy of peace. These perspectives often emphasize values such as compassion, forgiveness, and the importance of community in achieving peace.

These are just a few of the theories and perspectives within the philosophy of peace. Each theory contributes to a deeper understanding of the nature of peace, the conditions necessary for its realization, and the ethical considerations involved in striving for a more peaceful world.

#philosophy #knowledge #learning #chatgpt #education #ethics #politics #Peace Philosophy #Pacifism #Just War Theory #Positive Peace #Conflict Resolution #Cosmopolitanism #Feminist Peace Theory #Transitional Justice #Human Rights #Gandhian Philosophy #Global Governance #Conflict Transformation #Ethical Perspectives #Religious Peace #Philosophy of Non-Violence

[pedro-pascal]

what exactly do you mean by "man she hasn't changed has she"? are you reffering to her dating life? if so, i don't really understand why you're mad at a grown woman for simply going on dates as if she's committing a crime of some sort. not really sure what else you could possibly be reffering to since other than that, the only thing she's done recently is sing songs on tour. if you dislike her so much, a good option for you might be to simply blacklist her name and go about your day.

guys i found the swiftie 😭 i’m begging y’all to be at peace that your fave is not perfect

#i’m sorry but she is not the reincarnation of jesus you think she is 😭 #her work ethic is great but as a person she’s like. hum. something i guess #and trust me i HAVE tried to blacklist her from my life but ppl always talk about her #and sadly reddit is OBSESSED about her #so i’m always exposed to her against my will #so like her feminist persona is just amusing to watch when she starts to date a racist 😐 #anonymous #a see

[anti-abortion-flowerchild]

Abortion is a form of Lethally Violent Child Abuse. Stop the Violence. Protect Children. End Abortion.

#consistent life ethic #pro life #prochoice #abortion #feminist

[maslows-pyramid-scheme]

het partnered women are better at decentering men? really? that’s a good addition?

You know that buzz words and popular catch phrases aren't a viable alternative to actual feminist analysis, right? The idea that being opposite-sex partnership precludes one from being a radical feminist is just a bunch of stupid online nonsense (created by a bunch of dishonest drama llamas so obsessed with other women's dating lives that they forget to do any actual feminist action).

#'there's no ethical heterosexuality under patriarchy' is one of the keystone arguments of political lesbianism btw #it's not and it never has been a keystone radical feminist argument #anon #i don't even know which post you're misrepresenting lol

[ghost-shipping]

If you want to avoid falling for faux progressive movements that are actually shitty and lead to conservative outcomes then you need to pay more attention to the content of an argument/statement rather than the identity of who is saying it. “Listening to minority voices” can only get you so far because there are marginalized people who are very wrong sometimes. Being marginalized does not by default give you a masters degree in social issues actually and some people are just hateful!

#part of the reason terfs have thrived in the past 5 years is because people will just take any 'feminist' labeled statement at face value #the same goes for the exclusionism that was big on here when i was in high school #and big grifters like blaire white #you should be paying attention to the logic and ethics and conclusions of what these people are saying even though they are marginalized

[therambleandrumble]

"How do we divest ourselves of the need to make ourselves extraordinary? The danger is that we must now be too good. If you've been too evil, if you've been the notion of sin incarnated and you're now trying to correct that balance, what do you do?

You make Black people into saints. You go from being a sinner to being a saint. Neither one is true. Neither one has anything to do with reality. Both are traps to dehumanize.

Both refuse to accept the fact that you live, breathe, and die out of an internal psyche, which is extremely private, extremely idiosyncratic, and is neither saint nor sinner..."

— Kathleen Collins, Master Class to Howard, 1982

#writing #activism #philosophy #blm #ethics #kathleen collins #litblr #quotation #quote #feminist literature #black feminism

[lesbicastagna]

fundamentally out of place as a lesbian who is not only vegan nor vegetarian but also very much pro meat

#they're gutting me in the feminist circles bro 😭 #sorry i grew up alongside farm animals all my life. im still gonna eat them #obv i respect diet choices made out of health or protest against the meat industry etc but ethically i disagree #a #i discuss this with my vegetarian friends often and its interesting again this is just my idea #chi non rispetto é quella percentuale che a malapena sa com'è fatta na mucca a parte averla vista su tiktok e non é mai stata in un allevame #nto Figuramoci in un macello che non hanno manco visto l'animale morto o visto macellare o trattato con mano i derivati animali dai eh #parliamo del tuo senso di colpa per cosa? puoi essere cattolico se proprio ci tieni a sentirti in colpa per stare al mondo e vivere

[countingprimes]

We’ve rebranded ‘pro life’ to ‘anti choice’ to reflect their true beliefs but it’s not enough. I think we need to start calling a spade a spade and refer to them as the “forced birth movement” which is what the fuck they are.

#anti choice is so anemic #and while it does solve the “they aren’t actually pro life’ issue #it doesn’t effectively communicate the true horror of what they are doing #and I think moderate folks being swung that way by their communities would find it harder to get snowed #if we all reminded them they are actually team forced birth #cause while I know we know it’s terrible in terms of real praxis Lots of the individual forced birth supporters don’t think of it as forced #they genuinely believe they are ‘saving children’ and their genuine fear and (what is surely some form of) empathy is being weaponized by #a fascist theocracy for its own ends #to that end #I doubt they would be rushing to agree that they are on the side of forced birth #or better yet if we can help people realize what they are actually for is forced birth and not for helping anyone #then maybe people won’t be swayed to their side #I know this isn’t a political movement and as far as praxis goes it’s tiny #but the people i know who are anti choice don’t see themselves as forcing birth onto women #they don’t see that as the outcome cause they’ve been so trained by the ‘what about the children’ rhetoric #the evangelical Christian theocracy uses to vilify any group they want to turn their political mob against #so I think they maybe need reminding that the actual policy they are instituting is Fucking forced birth #i think it would at least capture some of the evangelical women I know who are by the skin of their teeth eking out a 1.75th wave feminist #ethic despite their parents being more conservative #the kids are coming to the side of progress - slowly slowly #so if we can get THEM to see #get THEM to realize they’ve been conned #that’s something #because those are votes we need