Maternal Thinking: Toward a Politics of Peace

Mothers bear the brunt of the job of nurturing, protecting and caring for children, so couldn't the maternal instinct or outlook be tapped to galvanize a nonviolent, anti-militarist politics of peace? That is what Ruddick proposes in this well-intentioned but muddled philosophical treatise. She argues that the everyday chores of mothering foster a distinctly maternal style of thinking that fuses feeling, reflection and action. As defined here, ``maternal thinking'' breeds respect for individual differences, as well as a commitment to resolve disputes without fisticuffs. Ruddick notes, however, that ``mothers are often militant and usually support the war policies of their states,'' and that many mothers train their tots in ``unquestioning obedience.'' Undaunted by these realities, she looks to U.S. feminist struggles and Latin American women's resistance movements for ways to turn more mothers against the Bomb. (Apr.)