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"To be a philosopher and to be a feminist are one and the same thing. A feminist is a woman who does not allow anyone to think in her place."-from Hipparchia's Choice
A work of rare insight and irreverence, Hipparchia's Choice boldly recasts the history of philosophy from the pre-Socratics to the post-Derrideans as one of masculine texts and male problems. The position of women, therefore, is less the result of a hypothetical "femininity" and more the fault of exclusion by men. Nevertheless, women have been and continue to be drawn to "the exercise of thought." So how does a female philosopher become a conceptually adventurous woman? Focusing on the work of Sartre and Beauvoir (specifically, his sexism and her relation to it), Michèle Le Doeuff shows how women philosophers can reclaim a place for feminist concerns. Is The Second Sex a work of philosophy, and, if so, what can it teach us about the relation of philosophy to experience? Now with a new epilogue, Hipparchia's Choice points the way toward a discipline that is accountable to history, feminism, and society.
— Meryl Altman
To see Hipparchia's Choice simply as an excellent feminist text is not enough: the point is that it is also excellent philosophy.... Le Doeuff's book is a challenge to what has rapidly become the received wisdom of a large section of Western feminism.
— Toril Moi
Hipparchia's Choice is a book to be picked up again and again... it will keep encouraging its readers fully to engage in philosophy, critically and intelligently.
— Marije Altor
A testimony to the continuing importance of Michele Le Doeuff's groundbreaking work... Selous's translation gives a sparkling rendition of the text.
— Margaret Sankey, University of Sydney
A rare and inspiring work of philosophy in that it is scrupulous in argumentation and a great pleasure to read.
— Marguerite La Caze