Final Thoughts

Final Thoughts by Feminist Theorists,
Philosophers, & Activists

I do not think that there are definitive answers to anything. This is a way of thinking I have developed with age and education. It is at times exhausting the way I overly analyze and criticize, but I would rather this be the case than settling for everything I am presented with. ~Brittany Blevins, WMS201

It becomes a question for ethics, I think, not only when we ask the personal question, what makes my own life bearable, but when we ask, from a position of power, and from the point of view of distributive justice, what makes, or ought to make, the lives of others bearable. ~Judith Butler

Moving away from essentialism creates a space for empathy, acceptance, and hope in ways that feminists have not before enjoyed. Holding the tenets of an intersectional approach in hand while progressing with a cooperative spirit can bring feminism to the next generation. Widening our view can create a global movement and greater connection to women who are still oppressed, while adding progress that has already been made on the behalf of others ~Michelle Gragg, WMS201

Two or three things I know for sure, and one of them is that if we are not beautiful to each other, we cannot know beauty in any form. ~Dorothy Allison

How can we reach a point where we appreciate each other’s differences, not just tolerate them? How can we tear down the electrified barbed wire that has been placed between us to keep us separated, fearful, and pitted against each other? How can we forge a movement that can bring about profound and lasting change – a movement capable of transforming society? ~Les Feinberg

Being critical is easy -- isn't this stuff fucking obvious? ~ Lauren Martin

We use stories in our everyday lives to figure out who we are as individuals, what shapes and molds our beliefs and our convictions. A story, especially a good story, can affect an individual to the extent that it touches them to such a great degree that it changes them on a fundamental level. ~Brandy Beavers, WMS201

Although we may not find a common world of women in the future, we may find a world of meaningful connections based on a sense of justice, empathy, compassion, kindness, and all kinds of histories, knowledges, and politics. It is up to us to seek out these connections. ~ Inderpal Grewal & Caren Kaplan

Life itself becomes foreclosed when the right way is decided in advance. ~Butler.

Arundhati Roy