Denison: 'Toward a Feminist Social Ontology'

The Titus-Hepp Lecture Series welcomes Barbara Fultner, professor of philosophy, presenting “Collective Intentionality, Identity, and Solidarity: Toward a Feminist Social Ontology.” Fultner’s talk aims to foster a dialogue between feminist theorists and social ontologists. Fultner argues that social ontologists, who are interested in collective agency and the nature of groups, should find three aspects of contemporary feminist theory especially useful: the concept of social construction, the notion of the relational self, and the importance of power relations in social interaction. On the other hand, feminist conceptions of solidarity and collective agency stand to benefit from more detailed analyses of joint action offered by social ontologists. Fultner’s research interests lie at the intersection of social philosophy, feminist philosophy, critical theory, and philosophy of language and mind. She is especially interested in questions of intersubjectivity, embodiment, social practices, and normativity.