Mothers of Feminism

Philosophy? A guilty pleasure of mine.

Feminism? Fresh from Imogen Sutton, who has studied a major figure in the Feminist movement.

How could I resist this event?

If I had known Simone de Beauvoir had never conceived children - or known anything at all about her - I might have understood beforehand the endearing irony of the event's title: "Imogen Sutton: Daughters of de Beauvoir."

After a short introduction to the film and a fumble with the light switch, darkness fell, and the screen brightened. Although there were no subtitles – forgivable since the film was produced nearly thirty years ago - it was an enjoyable and enlightening watch.

Faces of writers like Kate Millett (an old friend of the French writer) and Ann Oakley spread across the screen as they shared their discoveries of feminism through de Beauvoir's ground-shaking work.

Feminism has always been a concrete thing for me, as I was born on the eve of the 21st century. Not for these women, though. They pulled the cloth from their eyes and perceived their passive position in society: they were living through their husbands.

And this was all realised because the deeply introspective Simone de Beauvoir shouted into the void so effectively with The Second Sex, first published in 1949. 

Sutton admitted, with disappointment, that de Beauvoir and her work are still relevant today. Women continue to be oppressed "in all departments."

I left feeling unexpectedly wised-up and quite 'feminist-ed.'
 

G. E. Knight

Britain's very own window-smashing intellectual (metaphorically speaking, I hope)

Monday 29th February signals the start of Cultural eXchanges week, with plenty of events for everyone to attend. It's not just for De Montfort University students so, Leicester folk and others from the East Midlands, if you check the programme you won't be stuck for things to do.

One event which is quickly selling out is Monday evening's talk by philosopher by John Gray. A former professor of European Thought at the London School of Economics and Political Science and before that, a professor of Politics and Fellow of Jesus College Oxford, John Gray has regularly written articles for popular publications such as The Guardian and The New Statesman as well as authoring a number of influential books. Even Andrew Marr, British broadcaster and journalist, was quoted as saying that Gray is "the closest thing we have to a window smashing French intellectual".

 

Given John Gray's vast knowledge and enthusiasm for philosophy, this event promises to be one of the most enriching and thought-provoking events at Cultural eXchanges. It would be a shame to miss such an enlightening experience.

Lorna Ball