b. 1942
Alison M. Jaggar is a leading contemporary feminist philosopher whose work spans feminist ethics, epistemology, and political philosophy. She is best known for her systematic critique of how dominant philosophical traditions have excluded or distorted women's perspectives, and for her influential taxonomy of feminist political theories. Her scholarship connects abstract philosophical questions to concrete concerns about gender justice, global poverty, and the conditions for women's flourishing.
Authored Feminist Politics and Human Nature (1983), a landmark survey and critique of liberal, Marxist, socialist, and radical feminist theories
Developed the concept of 'outlaw emotions' — the idea that marginalized people's emotional responses can serve as epistemically valuable guides to hidden moral realities
Advanced feminist critiques of the public/private distinction and its role in perpetuating gender subordination
Pioneered feminist approaches to global justice, examining how global economic structures disproportionately harm women in the Global South
Co-edited foundational anthologies in feminist epistemology and feminist ethics that shaped the field's development