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Critique is the art of making judgments about something with reference to some standards. But which standards? When we criticize a claim about state of affairs, a norm or a piece of art, on the basis of what do we do so? This book is discussing from various perspectives, how feminists have approached such questions. The first part of the dissertation takes up the challenge posed by feminist epistemology. Feminist epistemologists question prevalent ideas of objectivity and good science. How have they done this? And are their claims well-founded? The second part takes a closer look at the meta-debates going on in contemporary Scandinavian feminism, exemplified by an analysis of some recent debates among Norwegian feminists. The third and final part of the dissertation addresses three concerns in feminist debates on the meaning of critique: the relationship between feminism and moral universalism, feminism and equality, and feminism and the public-private division. The book addresses graduate students and researchers and other audiences with an advanced interest in feminist theory, political philosophy and philosophy of science.

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Cathrine Holst is Senior Researcher at ARENA - Centre for Europan Studies and Postdoctor, Department of Sociology and Human Geography, University of Oslo. Her research interests are philosophy of science, political philosophy, feminism and European Studies,

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