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Essentialism Regarding Human Nature in the Defence of Gender Equality in Education
Author(s) -
HOLMA KATARIINA
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
journal of philosophy of education
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.501
H-Index - 41
eISSN - 1467-9752
pISSN - 0309-8249
DOI - 10.1111/j.1467-9752.2007.00543.x
Subject(s) - essentialism , epistemology , ideal (ethics) , flourishing , subjectivism , argument (complex analysis) , sociology , fallacy , naturalism , philosophy , social psychology , psychology , biochemistry , chemistry
In this article I consider contemporary philosophical conceptions of human nature from the point of view of the ideal of gender equality. My main argument is that an essentialist account of human nature, unlike what I take to be its two main alternatives (the subjectivist account and the cultural account), is able coherently to justify the educational pursuit of this ideal. By essentialism I refer to the idea that there are some features common to all human beings (independent of individual, cultural and historical factors) that are conducive to a good life and human flourishing. I also consider the main philosophical challenge of essentialism, the naturalistic fallacy, and the ways in which contemporary versions of essentialism might escape this charge.