Towards an ethical identity: An exploration of the relational self in ecofeminist ethics

This thesis undertakes an examination of the concept of a relational self and its implications for ethics. Set in the context of ecofeminist ethics, this thesis explores the attempts by ecofeminist theorists to formulate an understanding of identity that offers an alternative to traditional, individualistic notions of self, in order to provide a more appropriate basis from which an ethics encompassing both feminist and environmental concerns can follow. This thesis evaluates the effectiveness of this notion of selfhood for ethical action and explores ways in which the concept of a relational self could be strengthened.; Chapter One examines ecofeminist definitions of a relational self. Chapter Two explores ecofeminist criticisms of this understanding of selfhood as well as a postmodern critique of ecofeminist uses of identity in general. In light of these criticisms, Chapter Three explores the possible ontological and ethical contributions of the relational and processual worldviews of process philosophy and coevolutionary theory. This thesis concludes with a more detailed discussion of what an ethics, based on a refined understanding of an ecofeminist relational self, could entail.