Abstract

Nature, Woman, and the Art of Politics ambitiously undertakes an examination of the role of women in political life as perceived in the history of philosophic thought broadly construed. Having accepted the basic tenets of liberalism, most human beings believe that they are free. However, as Velásquez notes in his introductory remarks, although we believe ourselves to be entirely free, we impose limits on ourselves by making choices that we hope will be conducive to our good. Indeed, political life necessitates such limits if only to ensure our own safety against the wills of others. Velásquez argues that to understand the good, to understand the limits we justly impose, is to understand nature or more concretely, human nature. The history of political philosophy might be understood as various attempts of determining the limits that nature places on us.