Being as Relation in Luce Irigaray

This book explores Irigaray's focus on sexuate difference, arguing that it is "ontological" and establishes a rigorous philosophical continuity between her three self-identified phases. It demonstrates that an understanding of her Heideggerian inheritance is essential to grasping that sexuate difference is ontological and proposes potential applications for philosophy, feminism, and psychotherapy.

Format: Hardback
Length: 166 pages
Publication date: 24 January 2023
Publisher: Springer International Publishing AG

Many scholars have grappled with Irigaray's focus on sexuate difference, particularly with her assertion that it is "ontological," raising questions about whether this implies a problematically naive or essentialist understanding of sexuate difference. Consequently, the ethical vision that Irigaray elaborates has not been fully embraced within the domains of philosophy, feminism, and psychoanalysis. By delving into the notion of "relation" throughout Irigaray's work, this book establishes a rigorous philosophical continuity between the three self-identified "phases" in Irigaray's thought, despite concerns from some critics that there is a discontinuity between these phases. It also clarifies the relational ontology that underpins Irigaray's conceptualization of sexuate difference, revealing that it inherently entails an ethical project.

The text demonstrates that a grasp of Irigaray's Heideggerian inheritance, particularly evident in her later writings, is crucial for understanding the ontological nature of sexuate difference. It concerns Being rather than beings. This book further explores the potential applications of this ontological notion of a "relational limit" to the fields of philosophy, feminism, and psychotherapy.

Weight: 369g
Dimension: 210 x 148 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9783031193040
Edition number: 1st ed. 2023