Abstract

In this thesis I explore Hobbes', Locke's and J. S. Mill's views on women, in light of the feminist argument that women are excluded from most models of the political community put forth by the political theory tradition. I argue that the reasons provided by feminist scholars to explain the exclusion of women in these theorists are deficient, in part, because they fail to consider the extent to which liberal doctrine is concerned with parent-child relations. Consequently, I focus on the way in which Hobbes, Locke and J. S. Mill present parent-child relations, as well as on the way they depict women's position. ;Three themes emerge in my reading of these theorists. The first is that parent-child relations pose a problem which all three theorists address in varying ways. The second is that women's role in reproduction is related to their political status; it is an indicator of their capacity for politics, at the same time as it is also a source of their exclusion from equal political status. The third theme is that politics is increasingly associated with traditionally 'feminine' rather than 'masculine' characteristics; paradoxically, this does not necessarily benefit women in terms of improving their political status. ;I examine the way in which these themes can inform our understanding of women's position in modern liberal societies, especially the debates over women's reproductive rights and their under-representation in politics. I also explore the way in which, by directing us to ask questions about parent-child relations and women's role in reproduction, they can further our understanding of the ability of feminist theory to provide alternative models of the political community that do include women, men and children