Motherhood - Philosophy for Everyone The Birth of Wisdom

by Allhoff, Fritz; Lintott, Sheila; Warner, Judith

• ISBN13: 9781444330281
• ISBN10: 1444330284
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2011-03-14
• Publisher: Wiley-Blackwell

Summary

The complex world of motherhood is here unveiled. Covering issues ranging from whether we should occasionally lie to our children, to the unexpected challenges and complications of being a mother, Motherhood & Philosophy offers insightful, serious but often humorous essays that can be enjoyed by everyone - including husbands and fathers. Considers salient philosophical issues relating to pregnancy, birth, babycare and raising a child Chapters include "The Days and Nights of a New Mother", " "The Media Proudly Presents: 'Lessons' from Celebrity Moms", and "The Off Button: Thought Experiments and Child Control" Contains work from diverse academic perspectives, including economics, psychology, education, English, sociology, women's studies, and theological studies, as well as from stay-at-home mothers and nurses Includes a foreword by Judith Warner, the New York Times columnist ("Domestic Disturbances") and author of Perfect Madness: Motherhood in the Age of Anxiety

Author Biography

Sheila Lintott is an Assistant Professor of Philosophy at Bucknell University, and the mother of two children. Fritz Allhoff is an Assistant Professor in the Philosophy Department at Western Michigan University as well as a Senior Research Fellow at the Australian National University's Centre for Applied Philosophy and Public Ethics.

Table of Contents

Foreword

Acknowledgments

Navel-Gazing at Its Finest: An Introduction to Motherhood - Philosophy for Everyone

Mommy Brain: Truth, Knowledge, and Belief in Mothering

How Many Experts Does It Take to Raise a Child? Mothering and the Quest for Certainty

Creative Mothering: Lies and the Lying Mothers Who Tell Them

Pro-Choice Philosopher Has Baby: Reflections on Fetal Life

Kim, Ellen, and Zack's Big Adventure: Lesbian Mothers Raising a Boy Steeped in His Masculinity

Labor Pains: The Work and Wonder of Being a Mom

Days and Nights of a New Mother: Existentialism in the Nursery

Mindful Mothering: How Feminist Buddhist Practices Enhance Experiences of Beauty

A Face Only a Mother Could Love? On Maternal Assessments of Infant Beauty

Kevin, Coming Into Focus: On Getting to Know My Son

Mom's Morality: Ethical Issues in Mothering

Making Choices: The Ethics of Infant Feeding

Lactational Burkas and Milkmen: On Public Breastfeeding and Male Lactation

On "Crying-It-Out" and Co-Sleeping

Natural Childbirth is for the Birds

Is Motherhood Everything You Thought It Would Be? Fantasy Meets Reality

The Off Button: Thought Experiments and Child Control

The Virtues of Motherhood

The Media Proudly Present: "Lessons" From Celebrity Moms

God, Mom! The Blessings of Breasts and Womb

A Brief Afterword: Some Words from Contributors' Kids on Motherhood and Philosophy

Read All About It: A Feminist Bibliography on Pregnancy and Mothering

Notes on Contributors

Table of Contents provided by Publisher. All Rights Reserved.