Judith Butler

With the publication of her highly acclaimed and much-cited book Gender Trouble, Judith Butler became one of the most influential feminist theorists of her generation. Her theory of gender performativity and her writings on corporeality, on the injurious capacity of language, on the vulnerability of human life to violence and on the impact of mourning on politics have, taken together, comprised a substantial and highly original body of work that has a wide and truly cross-disciplinary appeal. In this lively book, Moya Lloyd provides both a clear exposition and an original critique of Butler's work. She examines Butlers core ideas, traces the development of her thought from her first book to her most recent work, and assesses Butlers engagements with the philosophies of Hegel, Foucault, Derrida, Irigaray and de Beauvoir, as well as addressing the nature and impact of Butler's writing on feminist theory. Throughout Lloyd is particularly concerned to examine Butler's political theory, including her critical interventions in such contemporary political controversies as those surrounding gay marriage, hate-speech, human rights, and September 11 and its aftermath. Judith Butler offers an accessible and original contribution to existing debates that will be an invaluable resource for students and scholars alike.

With the publication of her highly acclaimed and much-cited bookGender Trouble, Judith Butler became one of the most influentialfeminist theorists of her generation. Her theory of genderperformativity and her writings on corporeality, on the injuriouscapacity of language, on the vulnerability of human life toviolence and on the impact of mourning on politics have, takentogether, comprised a substantial and highly original body of workthat has a wide and truly cross-disciplinary appeal.In this lively book, Moya Lloyd provides both a clear expositionand an original critique of Butler's work. She examines Butlerscore ideas, traces the development of her thought from her firstbook to her most recent work, and assesses Butlers engagements withthe philosophies of Hegel, Foucault, Derrida, Irigaray and deBeauvoir, as well as addressing the nature and impact of Butler'swriting on feminist theory. Throughout Lloyd is particularlyconcerned to examine Butler's political theory, including hercritical interventions in such contemporary political controversiesas those surrounding gay marriage, hate-speech, human rights, andSeptember 11 and its aftermath.Judith Butler offers an accessible and originalcontribution to existing debates that will be an invaluableresource for students and scholars alike.

Abbreviations xAcknowledgements xii1 Introduction 1Feminism, identity and difference 4From homosexual to gay and lesbian to queer 7The influence of poststructuralism 10Hegel and desiring subjects 13Postscript 232 Rethinking Sex and Gender 25The trouble with women 25Feminism and the sex/gender debate 28Denaturalizing sex and gender 30Cultural intelligibility - contesting heteronormativity33From phenomenology to performativity 36Performing gender 42Women in/and feminism 44Conclusion 463 Towards a Subversive Gender Politics 49From parody to politics 50Subversive gender politics 51Performativity and subversion 54Free will versus determinism 57Enter iterability 61The ambivalence of drag 66The matter of bodies 68Politicizing abjection - making bodies matter 74Conclusion 764 Psychoanalysis and the Gendered Subject 78Gender Trouble and psychoanalysis 79Rubin and 'The Traffic in Women' 80Freud and Oedipus 82Melancholic gender identifi cations 83Melancholia and performativity 85Lacan and Oedipus 88Assuming sex 89Locating resistance 91Kinship matters 93Psychic subjectivity 97Passionate attachment and primary dependency 99Resisting Butler 102Conclusion 1055 'Talking Back' - Resignifi cation and Politics107Words that Wound 108The force of the performative 110Opposing sovereign performatives 113A linguistic account of subjectivity 115Linguistic subjectivity and responsibility 118Revisiting agency - politics and resignifi cation 120Against the state 126Conclusion 1336 What Makes for a Liveable Life? 134Normative violence and questions of liveability 135Corporeal vulnerability 138Mourning and grief 141Questions of recognition 143What's wrong with 'desiring the state's desire'? 146The politics of radical democracy 14Cultural translation 150Conclusion 154Notes 157Bibliography 182Index 197