bepress Legal Series
The Wrongful Rejection of Big Theory (Marxism) by Feminism and Queer Theory: A Brief Debate
Abstract
Post modern thought has fought meta-narrative into derision. "[I]f you lick my nipple," as Michael Warner remarked, "the world suddenly seems insignificant," and of course, identity becomes more than a cultural trait. It becomes "the performance of desire." It becomes a place of "ideological contestation over need," or, in other words, an ideology that demands "legitimacy for its desire." However, meta-narratives talk about desire too. For example, Marx talked about the desire caused by the never-ending production of commodities. Thus, if, at first sight, it may seem that identity politics and Marxism have very little in common, that may not be necessarily true. This paper shows that they need each other. On one hand, feminist and queer symbolism need a grand social theory to attract popular support for their concrete demands. On the other hand, Marxism is waiting to be rediscovered.
Recommended Citation
Dana Neacsu,
"The Wrongful Rejection of Big Theory (Marxism) by Feminism and Queer Theory: A Brief Debate"
(May 9, 2005).
bepress Legal Series.
Working Paper 616.
http://law.bepress.com/expresso/eps/616