Philosophy Exam #2

How does Haslanger define “woman”?

You are a woman iff you possess bodily features associated with female reproduction, you have features that society has determined are made to occupy certain subordinate social positions, therefore your social position is oppressive

How does Haslanger define “man”?

You are a man iff you possess bodily features associated with male reproduction, you have features that society has determined are made to occupy certain privileged social positions, therefore your social position is privileged

How does Haslanger define “race”?

A group is racialized iff its members are positioned as privileged or subordinate in: economical, political, legal, or social ways, and the groip is targeted for these features due to observed physical features

How does Haslanger distinguish race from ethnicity?

Ethnic groups can be racialized but are not always racialized

What does it mean for a group to be racialized?

The group is defined by physical features associated with a place of origin, this grouping is used socially as a basis of evaluation

What are the kinds of definitions that Haslanger discusses

*Definition of race and gender

What is the purpose of her definitions?

*To determine what the concepts of race and gender can do for us in a feminist and antiracist society

What are the commonality and normativity problems in Haslanger’s Paper?

Commonality: Is there anything social that ALL females have in common

Normativity: Any attempt to define woman will inevitability exclude some females and privilege others

How does Haslanger address these problems in relation to her proposed definitions?

Discovering commonalities is not her focus, her focus is to provide an analysis that can serve as a tool in the quest for sexual justice

According to Appiah, why is it is important to define racism?