Partial Attraction Ms

destruction of dams and the restoration objections, or misgivings. the individual differently than did of free-flowing rivers; the establish Fox-Genovese argues that the vocab Christian ones, and religious societies ment of huge tracts of wilderness and ulary and philosophy of individual rights view him differently than, say, commu roadless areas; and the practice of an on which feminists (and almost every nist societies do. It matters, a bit, what idealized politics that admits of no body else in modern times) have based kind of bundle of collectivities, acknowl compromise. Much of Confessions of their claims are illegitimate and finally edging what kind of moral and religious an Eco-Warrior is an extended political unsatisfactory inheritances of capitalist, checks, one is thinking of when one pamphlet elaborating on these points. paternalistic, bourgeois society. Femi attempts to ameliorate existential angst. In ten years' time, Dave Foreman's nists should recognize the extent to Yet Ms. Fox-Genovese's formulations brand of radical environmentalism has which the language of individual rights repeatedly sidestep the underlying served both to polarize the ecological derives from an intellectual history that philosophical problems. Here is one of movement and to push the rank and is market-driven and paternalistic and many examples. file toward greater activism. His pro hence an uncomfortable bedfellow of gram has as many detractors as it does feminists. A more communitarian phi Since the beginnings of human followers, but few people within or losophy of rights, taking a leaf from history, men and women have without the environmentalist camp can pre-Enlightenment models, would help demonstrated a propensity to simply shrug it off, and any serious offset the gravitational pull of the mod congregate in communities. ecological debate must somehow take ern state and the increasingly atomized The propensity runs so deep Foreman's positions, as elaborated in condition of its citizens. as to look very much like a his book, into account. She has a point, and she also has a fundamental aspect of human point when she alludes to inconsisten nature. Whatever the intentions Gregory McNamee is a freelance cies in many conservative attempts to of nature, the development of author, editor, and critic living in balance the claims of the individual human history has offered Tucson, Arizona. against those of the community or its communities differing degrees subgroups. Having said that, however, I of legal and political protection, have said almost all the positive things I until in our own time—with can say about this book. the noteworthy exception of Partial Attraction Ms. Fox-Genovese is better at raising corporations — they receive very by Ellen Wilson Fielding problems and contradictions and sum littie at all. (My italics.) marizing the depressingly wrongheaded Feminism Without Illusions: schools of feminist thought and doling This philosophical murkiness increases A Critique of Individualism out dollops of praise and criticism for in direct proportion to the specificity of by Elizabeth Fox-Genovese each than she is at letting us know how the issue. I've read Fox-Genovese's Chapel Hill: University of North she would reconcile the demands of chapter on pornography, so I know that Carolina Press; 347 pp., $24.95 feminism with human needs, human she's opposed to it, and thinks that rights—and human weakness. It is of feminist arguments against it should ten hard to pin down the degrees to naturally emphasize pornography's vio lizabeth Fox-Genovese's career which she agrees or disagrees with a lation of groups (women, society) rather E seems dedicated to the principle given school of feminist thought: her than of individuals. But when it comes that radicals can be reasonable. The book is too full of the diffuse "under to causes or cures, Ms. Fox-Genovese encouraging title of her latest book standing" that characterizes conversa does what she always does — she asserts suggests that they may even be realistic. tions in which someone is trying to that the traditional way in which people Although the author challenges the gerrymander a consensus. Like other have lived and related to one another is grounds on which most feminists argue practitioners of ecumenism, she seems unsalvageable: "We are not likely to their rights, she is admittedly and regret to dodge straight yeas and nays. restore decency by returning women, tably a feminist herself, and her book is Most damningly, she left me uncer and violence against women, to the primarily a contribution to a family tain as to whether her proposed new bedroom and the kitchen"; "Through quarrel. model of feminist thinking was meant out the twentieth century, the irreversi What teases is the suggestion, here to be closer to the Truth of things or ble intrusion of the market into the and there, of a susceptibility to ideolog merely more efficacious in realizing so-called private sphere has steadily ical conversion. In this Ms. Fox- feminist goals. If she were inquiring into eroded marriage as a career"; "Since Genovese's book reminds me of Ger- Truth, wouldn't she define her terms men cannot be held accountable for maine Greer's offering of a few years better, or at all? What does it mean to supporting women, as, for example, ago. It contained just enough openness say (as she does) that pre-modern socie through alimony, women must be able to the allurements of traditionalism to ties identified society as prior to the to support themselves and often also arouse in some a missionary impulse. individual and understood the individ their children"; "The hard truth is that But whatever the peregrinations of a ual's rights as devolving upon him as a our society is not prepared to provide Germaine Greer or an Elizabeth Fox- member of a group? 'Trior to the adequately for children, and those who Genovese, neither seems likely to loose individual" could and did mean differ oppose abortion are, in general, those a floodgate of feminist converts to con ent things at different times to different least in favor of expanding social and servatism by means of their arguments. people. Pre-Ghristian societies viewed family services." AUGUST 1991/37 LICENSED TO UNZ.ORG ELECTRONIC REPRODUCTION PROHIBITED The device of acknowledging the Western world itself She most clearly capacity for indignation. No doubt pull of another point of view but con tips her hand when she comes closest that's what keeps him so spry. Beich signing it, a tad regretfully, to the dust to praising great thinkers of the past: man is the author of Nine Lies About bin of history, supports the author "Nor need we reject in toto the conser America and a regular columnist for through an astonishing amount of con vatives' argument that the truly great the Washington Times. He grew up on servative reading. And her interpreta writers conveyed transcendent, time New York's Lower East Side, went to tions of what she reads are often faulty less, and universal values. Even those Columbia University, and worked as and reductionist; consider, for instance, who reject such absolutes ought to be city editor of the New York daily paper this doubly erroneous summary: able to recognize the world-historical PM during World War II. He seems to power and continued relevance of the have been one of the few people of his Western Christianity has ideas of a Plato or Aristotle or Shake generation and background who was at always had a tendency, well speare." no point a socialist sympathizer—not exemplified in Saint Augustine, "Even those who reject such even during the Spanish Civil War. to believe that sins should be absolutes." . But an awful lot hing Now he has written a book about eradicated and judged at the es on whether or not you reject such the history of U.S.-Soviet treaty-mak root—in the imagination. But absolutes. Ms. Fox-Genovese's reading ing over the years — a most useful and it has also had another, best of the conservative tradition and her readable compendium. As he shows, exemplified in the Jesuits, that partial attraction toward pre-modern that history is one of absurdity from the sinner should be judged not communities is no more than romantic beginning to end. Beichman's thesis is by the intention (which is nostalgia if she persists in accepting, as that nothing fundamental has changed intrinsic to the inherently sinful enduring and necessary accompani in the Soviet Union, and that nothing human condition) but by the ments of Progress, every alteration in can change as long as it adheres to act. traditional cultural values and family Marxist-Leninist dogma. A Leninist I am impressed—and a bit bewildered relationships. state, he writes, is not reformable un —by her effort. She does not read to less it abandons its police power, politi excoriate. Her description of The Poli Ellen Wilson Fielding is an cal monopoly, economic control, and tics of Human Nature, written by the editor-at-large for The Human Life "sense of world mission," none of editor of this magazine, demonstrates Review and a columnist for Crisis which Soviet rulers have done. enough good will, and some emotion I magazine. She lives in Davidsonville, Beichman copiously faults Western might almost call nostalgia, to suggest a Maryland. intellectuals in general (and the New genuine difference between the author York Times in particular) for accepting and those feminists who shudder at President Gorbachev's "virtuous pro novels written in the bad old days of fession" at face value. Simultaneously, blatant female oppression. She has The Dethronement he points out, German unification was even read Richard Weaver on rhetoric, treated as something that we should be and values him.

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