The Partially Examined Life Philosophy Podcast

Ep. 375: Luce Irigaray's Feminism (Part Two)

Sep 15, 2025
Jenny Hansen, a scholar of feminist thought, delves into Luce Irigaray’s groundbreaking work on the commodification of women. They discuss how societal structures objectify femininity, critiquing the economic underpinnings and patriarchal implications. Hansen highlights the importance of recognizing women as full subjects rather than mere objects. The conversation also explores the cultural narratives surrounding motherhood, the power dynamics of gender, and the philosophical intersections that shape contemporary discussions on identity and agency.
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INSIGHT

Women As Social Commodities

  • Irigaray compares women's social role to Marx's commodity fetishism, arguing women function as an infrastructural commodity in social reproduction.
  • This framing reveals how exchange and incest taboos institutionalize women's commodification across history.
INSIGHT

Exchange Among Men Defines Value

  • Irigaray shows women pass in exchange between men, making male networks the assumed workforce and marketplace.
  • This analysis explains how women's value is measured by men's transactions rather than women's own subjectivity.
ANECDOTE

Modern Examples: Epstein And Campus Culture

  • Jenny connects Irigaray's market idea to real-world trafficking and the Epstein case as an array of commodities and status displays.
  • She uses campus fraternity rape research to illustrate how women mediate male bonding and status exchange.
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