| The dissertation describes and analyzes the thought of a Chinese literatus, Li Zhi (1527–1602), who I argue is one of the earliest Confucians to offer substantive arguments for equality between the genders. Li insists that opportunities for self cultivation, a project central to Confucianism and one that was traditionally open only to men, must also be made available to women. His particular vision of self cultivation involves reading classical texts, writing poetry, engaging in discourse and debate, and meditating for the purpose of enhancing one's innate moral, intellectual, and spiritual sensibilities. Not only is Li historically interesting, but his ideas are also philosophically important. I show how an understanding of Li's arguments for gender equality enables us to productively problematize concepts, such as the distinction between private and public and between thinking and feeling, that are common to contemporary western feminist theory. Li's ideas differ in both subtle and overt ways from those of western thinkers discussed in this dissertation, namely John McDowell, John Stuart Mill, Catherine MacKinnon, and Mary Daly. Despite Li's considerable role within Chinese Confucianism, at present there exist but a handful of articles on him in the English language. While the primary aim of the dissertation is to reveal ways in which Confucian feminism as found in Li comes into fruitful dialogue with contemporary western feminisms, the dissertation also sets this feminism in context by providing a description and analysis of Li's influential views on the mind, morality, and government. In the appendix, I include selected annotated translations of Li's writings. |
