Their value is determined not by their own worth, but by the men who trade and possess them.
Some critics argue that by focusing so heavily on the biological metaphor of the "two lips," Irigaray reduces womanhood to biology.
Female sexuality is not a single, localized organ like the penis. This Sex Which Is Not One
Luce Irigaray’s This Sex Which Is Not One is a radical call to invent a new language and a new social order. She demands that women refuse to be the passive mirrors reflecting male identity. Instead, she urges women to speak a language of their own—one that celebrates plurality, autoeroticism, and difference. AI responses may include mistakes. Learn more
Irigaray builds upon and critiques Jacques Derrida's concept of phallogocentrism (the prioritization of the masculine phallus and the spoken word/logic). She argues that the entire history of Western thought is built on a masculine subject. Women are viewed as the "not-male." Their value is determined not by their own
In one of the book's most famous chapters, Irigaray applies Marxist theory to gender relations. She argues that patriarchal society is based on the exchange of women between men.
Female sexuality is viewed as an incomplete version of male sexuality. Luce Irigaray’s This Sex Which Is Not One
Her dense, highly abstract psychoanalytic and philosophical jargon makes the text difficult for casual readers to access. 🎯 The Takeaway