13/4/2016

FacultySpotlightInterview:WendyMcElroy

PublishedonMisesInstitute(https://mises.org)

FacultySpotlightInterview:WendyMcElroy
February3,201110:00AMMises.org[1]
WendyMcElroyistheauthorofXXX:AWomansRighttoPornography[2] (St.Martins
Press,1995),SexualCorrectness:TheGenderFeministAttackonWomen[3] ,(McFarland,
1996),TheReasonableWoman:AGuidetoIntellectualSurviva[4] l(PrometheusBooks,
1998),andQueenSilver:TheGodlessGirl(PrometheusBooks,2000),andIndividualist
FeminismoftheNineteenthCentury[5] (McFarland,2001).Hermostrecentbookisanew
anthology,LibertyforWomen[6] ,(IvanR.Dee,2002).Herbookonprostitution,LeGambe
DellaLiberta,hasjustbeenpublishedinItalianbythepublisherLeonardoFacco.

SheistheeditorofFreedom,FeminismandtheStat[7] e(1sted.,Cato,19832nded.,
Holmes&Meier,1991),whichprovidesahistoricaloverviewofindividualistfeminismin
America.AportionofthePrefaceisprovidedtorenderabettersenseofthistraditionand
whereitfitsinwiththemoregeneralfeministmovement.IndividualistFeminism:PartOne[8] ,
andIndividualistFeminism:PartTwo[9]
McElroyhasalsocompiledIndextoLiberty:18811908,acomprehensiveindextoBenjamin
Tuckers19thcenturyperiodical,whichcanbeaccessedthroughtheMemoryHoleWebsite
underthecategoryofindividualistanarchism.BibliographicEssaytoIndividualist
Feminismisalsolocatedonthissite.Herrecentwork,TheDebatesofLiberty[10] ,isexpected
tobeissuedbyLexingtonBooks(RowmanandLittlefield).
SheisaweeklycolumnistforFoxNews.com[11] ,writingunderthetitleThe[12] ifeminist[12]
acolumnthatiswidelyrepostedontheInternet.Sheistheeditorofthefeministwebsite
ifeminists.com[13] whichgrowsbyapproximately10%eachmonth.McElroyisalsoaresearch
fellowattheIndependentInstitute[14] ,andcontributingeditortoIdeasonLiberty(formerly
TheFreeman),TheNewLibertarian,FreeInquiry,andLibertymagazines.Herwritinghas
appearedinsuchdiverseperiodicalsasNationalReview,MarieClaire,andPenthouse.
Foroveradecade,McElroywasaserieseditorforKnowledgeProducts[15] .Shehaswritten
andeditedmanydocumentaryscriptsforaudiocassette,someofwhichwerenarratedby
WalterCronkite,GeorgeC.Scott,andHarryReasoner.
Whatdoyouliketodoinyourfreetime?Doyouhaveanyhobbies?
Myfavoritehobbyiscooking,especiallyethnicfood.Yearsago,myhusbandandImoved
fromabigcitytoafarmthatisdownagravelroadwiththenearesttowncontainingfewer
than500people.Oneofthefewbigcitynicetiesmyhusbandmissedwastheselectionof
ethnicfood,especiallyMexican.Thus,MexicanwasthefirstcuisineImistressedinorderto
getthemansbloodsalsalevelbacktowhereitbelonged.
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FacultySpotlightInterview:WendyMcElroy

WhatdrewyoutotheAustrianschoolandtotheLudwigvonMisesInstitute?
IwasdrawntobothbytheinimitableeconomistandhistorianMurrayRothbard.
Ibelievemostlibertariansenterthemovementfromoneoftwodirectionsorconcerns:civil
libertiesorfreemarketeconomics.Myoverwhelmingfocuswascivilliberties.AlthoughI
understoodtherewasnodifferenceinkindbetweencivilandeconomicsrightsthatis,they
arebothexpressionsofthehumanrighttopersonandpropertyIfoundeconomicstobe
quitedull.Indeed,thosewhoenteredfromthedirectionofeconomicsseemedtohavea
personalitytypethatwasmoresubdued,retiring,dry.Thiswasanunfairjudgmentbutoneto
whichIdoadmit.
ThenIreadMurrayand,then,Imethim.Hesparkled.Hemadeeconomicssparkle.More
importantly,hisargumentswereaperfectmarriageofcivilrightsandeconomiclibertysothat
ithasbecomeimpossibleformetodivorcethetwofromanyissueInowexamine.Thisis
trueevenofissuesthataretraditionallynoneconomic.Forexample,whenIconsider
domesticviolence,Iheavilyfactorineconomicconsiderationssuchaswhosdefinitionis
beingused?Doesthedefinerprofitinsomemanner?perhapsbybeingpartofwhathas
beencalledtheDomesticViolenceIndustry?Inowconsideranytreatmentofcivilliberties
thatdoesnotincludeaneconomicanalysistobeincompleteandeconomictypesnolonger
seemdulltome.
Murrayalsocultivatedwithinmealifelongpassionfor19thcenturyindividualistanarchism.
HehadthediscernmenttodiscardwhatwasflawedwithinBenjaminTuckeretal
specifically,theacceptanceofalabortheoryofvalueandtoembracetheiranalysisofthe
state.
Itwasaheadymixture.Butmorethanthis,itwasasystematicandintegratedworldviewin
whichAustrianeconomicsplayedakeyrole.
Thus,theMisesInstitutehadtheimmediateappealofbeinghometoMurrayand,wherethe
bowtiewent,alotofusfollowed.Misesalsohad(andhas)theraretalentsofLewRockwell,
whocombinesaneloquentunderstandingoftheideaswithunusualadministrativeskill.This
makesforaprincipledandwelloiledinstitute.Idonotalwaysagreewiththoseprinciples
forexample,IamadamantlyantivotingbutMiseshasalwaystoleratedsuch
disagreements.
Whoisyourgreatestinspiration?
Intermsofasingleperson,theforegoinganswercaptureshim.
Inbroaderterms,however,mygreatestinspirationhasbeenthe19thcenturyindividualist
anarchistmovementandmostspecificallyTucker.Inmyearlytwenties,Iworkeddaysand,at
night,IindexedTuckersperiodicalLiberty(18811908).Afterayearofnightlypageturning,
itgotsothatIcouldpredictthelineTuckerwouldtakeonalmostanyissueand,then,I
startedtopredictwhathiswordingwouldbe.
ButitwasntmerelyTuckerwithwhomIfeltanintellectualaffinity,ofcourse.Itwasthe
clusterofluminarieswhomhecalledmentors(Spooner,Greene,Warren)aswellastheup
andcomerswhocalledTuckermentorinturn(Yarros,Byington).
IamcurrentlygoingthroughamicrofilmrunofAuberonHerbertsperiodicalTheFreeLife,
andIammoreimpressedbyitsqualitythanIexpected.MyformerexposuretotheBritish
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individualistHerbertfamousforpopularizingthetermVoluntaryistwaslargelythrough
exchangeofdebatewithinLibertywithhisAmericancounterparts.IthoughtHerbertargued
wellbutIunderratedhim.Lastmonth,Ifinishedreadingaseriesofhiscommentariesthat,
takencollectively,constitutethesinglebestrefutationofGeorgismIcanimagine.TheFree
Lifehaschangedmymindonseveralpointsoftheory,whichisnomeanfeat.
Howislibertarianismviewedwithinthefeministmovement?Isitseenasaviable
politicalphilosophywhichcanhelpprogresstherightsofwomen?
Themovementhasbecomealargeenoughumbrellatoincludeschoolslikelibertarian
feminismor,morebroadly,individualistfeminism.Thisisanencouragingdevelopmentover
thelastfewdecades.
Thedominantschool,however,isstillgenderfeminismwhichispoliticallycorrectandfarleft
leaning.Theyconsiderthefreemarkettobeoneofthetwinpillarsofthepatriarchalsystem
thatis,inturn,theoppressorofwomen.Theyalsoapproachpoliticsalmostexclusivelyon
thebasisofclassanalysisandclassinterests.Predictably,anindividualistfeministwhotouts
thefreemarketandreducespoliticstoindividualrightsisusuallydismissed,accusedof
beingashillformalepower,orotherwisetreatedwithcontempt.Itcanbecomeamite
unpleasant.(Bytheway,Idonotmeantodiscardclassanalysisitplaysanessentialrolein
libertariantheorybutaverydifferentonethanitdoesingenderfeminism.Libertarianclass
analysisdoesnotdenigratethesupremeimportanceofindividuals.)
Ontheotherhand,libertarianismhasproducedwonderfulfemalescholars,suchasEllen
FrankelPaul,andanimpressivebodyofsupportingworkinfeminism.(Pleaseseean
anthologyIeditedentitledLibertyforWomen:FreedomandFeminismintheTwentyFirst
Centuryforasenseoftherichnessandbreadthofscholarship.)Thelastseveralyearshas
seenanincreasingacceptanceofindividualistfeminismwithinacademiaeverymonthorso,
Ireceivepermissionrequeststoreprintoneofmypiecesinatextbookortohaveanarticle
includedincoursehandouts.Again,encouraging.
Itwilltakequiteawhile,however,forthezeitgeistofgenderfeminismtobeliftedfromthe
movement.Genderfeminismhasinstitutionalizeditselfwithinsocietythroughlawsandwithin
academiathroughWomensStudiesDepartments.
Doyouhaveanynewworksontheway?
YesIdo.Forbetterorworse,however,IrarelydiscussmaterialonwhichIamactively
working.GivenhowmanypartiesIveattendedatwhichauthorssitandreadaloudtheir
manuscriptsinprogress,thisisnotnecessarilyacharacterflaw.
Whatkindofimpactdoyouhopetomakewithyourwork?
Ihavesomanyanswerstothisonequestion.Letmechosejustone.Iwishtobeamong
thosewhoreclaimandsustaintwoneglectedtraditions:individualistanarchismand
individualistfeminism.
ArethereanywordsofwisdomyouwishtopassontothenextgenerationofAustrian
scholars?
Yes,butIwouldpassontheadvicetolibertariansingeneral.
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Bemoreinterestedinideasthanyouareinbeingright.BythisIdonotmeanyoushould
ceasetopassjudgmentonideasorceasetopursuethetruth.Butideasareintrinsically
interestingandyoucanlearnagreatdealfromthosewithwhomyoudisagree.Someofthe
bestrulingclassanalysisouttherecomesfromleftwinghistorians.
Mysecondpieceofadviceisacorollaryofthefirst.Donotpresumethatpeoplewhoare
wrongarelessintelligent,lessdecentorwellinformedthanyou.Formanyyears,myBFF
wasanoldfashionedlaborunionsocialistwhokepthopinglibertarianismwasaphase
throughwhichIwouldpass.Wehadstrongpointsofpoliticalagreementaswell,ofcourse,
includingabeliefinfreespeechabsolutismandantiwaractivism.Shewasoneofthemost
intelligent,kindhearted,andwellreadpeopleIveeverknown.Whenwedisagreed,shedid
notsuddenlybecomestupid,coarseandignorant.Shewasthesamehumanbeingwe
simplydisagreed.
SourceURL:https://mises.org/blog/facultyspotlightinterviewwendymcelroy
Links
[1]https://mises.org/profile/misesorg
[2]http://www.wendymcelroy.com/xxx.htm
[3]http://www.wendymcelroy.com/affirm.htm
[4]http://www.wendymcelroy.com/reason/index.html
[5]http://www.wendymcelroy.com/19thcent/index.html
[6]http://www.wendymcelroy.com/l4w/index.html
[7]http://www.wendymcelroy.com/ffs/index.html
[8]http://www.wendymcelroy.com/fem1.htm
[9]http://www.wendymcelroy.com/fem2.htm
[10]http://www.wendymcelroy.com/libdebates/ch6intpr.html
[11]http://www.foxnews.com/
[12]http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,251783,00.html
[13]http://www.ifeminists.com/e107_plugins/enews/enews.php
[14]http://www.independent.org/
[15]http://www.wendymcelroy.com/kprod.htm

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