Women are not party to the original contract through which…
““Women are not party to the original contract through which men transform their natural freedom into the security of civil freedom. Women are the subject of the contract. The (sexual) contract is the vehicle through which men transform their natural right over women into the security of civil patriarchal right. But if women have no part in the original contract, if they can have no part, why do the classic social contract theorists (again with the exception of Hobbes) make marriage and the marriage contract part of the natural condition? How can beings who lack the capacities to make contracts nevertheless be supposed always to enter into this contract? Why, moreover, do all the classic theorists (including Hobbes) insist that, in civil society, women not only can but must enter into the marriage contract?””
About This Quote
This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.
Critiques how traditional social contract theory excludes women, making marriage a tool of patriarchal control.
In simple terms: Women are excluded from original social contracts, making marriage oppressive.
Key Takeaway
Question and reshape gendered legal frameworks.
Themes
gender
law
political theory
feminism
Mood
critical
analytical
Type
philosophical
feminist
When to use this quote
- policy reform
- academic curricula
- activist campaigns
- legal advocacy
Key Concepts
social contract
patriarchy
legal rights
marriage norms
Questions to Reflect On
- How can societies redesign contracts for equality?
- What alternatives to marriage exist?
A Different Perspective
Changing deep‑seated legal traditions is complex.