Papers by Professor Beverley Clack
Oxford Scholarship Online, 2018
Rather than offering another ‘solution’ to the problem of evil, in the form of, say, a theodicy, ... more Rather than offering another ‘solution’ to the problem of evil, in the form of, say, a theodicy, the discussion of this chapter is situated within an ethical framework concerned with unmasking the enactment and perpetuation of ‘structural evils’ on the political and social levels. Indebted to the insights of feminist philosophers such as Michèle Le Doeuff, but also Hannah Arendt’s analysis of evil, the novelist Muriel Spark, and Pierre Bourdieu’s work on social suffering, the chapter seeks, not to justify the ways of God, but to critique and transform unjust structures, and to pave the way for alternatives that might best support human flourishing. This necessitates attempting to identify and understand the sources of human wickedness—social and individual—while contending that, ultimately, the only appropriate response to evil and suffering is to commit to a reorientation of the self towards others and the world.
International Journal of Philosophy and Theology, 2018
Research Papers in Education, 2012
Feminist Theology, 2009
Feminist philosophers of religion have drawn attention to desire as a neglected category for appr... more Feminist philosophers of religion have drawn attention to desire as a neglected category for approaching the sources and concerns of religion. This paper extends this discussion by engaging with one particularly disturbing aspect of the writings of the Marquis de Sade. In a world where ultimate sexual pleasure is derived from destruction of the Other, Sade glories in describing the suffering of mothers, often at the hands of their own children. This paper offers one possible reading of these dark desires through employing aspects of psychoanalytic theory to suggest that, rather than isolate him from the majority of humanity, we might consider possible connections between the desires he details and our own. This involves considering the ambivalence of the mother, and thus challenging the (often oppressive) idealization of the all-caring, all-nurturing mother.
Interrogating the Neoliberal Lifecycle, 2018
Two questions framed the seminar series that formed the basis for this collection: How is success... more Two questions framed the seminar series that formed the basis for this collection: How is success experienced through the neoliberal life cycle? What accommodations are required in order to be successful, and what resistances are identified as necessary to sustain other ways of living well? Looking over the interdisciplinary range of papers presented in this volume reminds us that, just as neoliberalism is pervasive and tenacious, so must be the critique and the seeking of alternatives. Here we reflect on the opportunities to address Wendy Larner’s caution that focusing on a restricted conception of neoliberalism may result in a limited ability to envisage better alternatives that an interdisciplinary and inter-professional conversation offers.
Interrogating the Neoliberal Lifecycle, 2018
To present an interdisciplinary collection with ‘neoliberal’ in the title is, in the twenty-first... more To present an interdisciplinary collection with ‘neoliberal’ in the title is, in the twenty-first century academy, a risky business. The risk lies in the term’s ubiquity. Writers across social, cultural and economic fields seem to agree that the use of ‘neoliberal’ has become too lazy, too vague and too readily used to denounce (Peck in Territ, Polit, GovAnce 1: 132–157, 2013); too frequently undefined and unevenly employed (Boas and Gans-Morse in Stud Comp Int Dev 44, 2009); too ‘overblown’ and in need of being ‘severely circumscribed’ (Dean in Governmentality: Power and Rile in Modern Society, Sage, London 2014, p. 150). We have organised the essays in this collection around its banner precisely because of, rather than in spite of, this tendency to ubiquity.
Religious Studies
According to Carolyne Larrington, legends of the past ‘offer particular kinds of answers – beauti... more According to Carolyne Larrington, legends of the past ‘offer particular kinds of answers – beautiful and mysterious answers. . . – to very large questions through a kind of metaphorical thinking . . . which, in their stripped-down clarity, show us what's really important in an unfamiliar light’. The claim that ‘what is really important [is disclosed] by casting it in an unfamiliar light’ I take into a philosophical engagement with the figure of the ghost. Far from being of dubious interest for the philosopher of religion, the continuing fascination with ghosts and hauntings offers promising ground for the discussion of religion, for the study of ghosts holds out the possibility of engaging with the wonder and terror of the human condition. The figure of something that is dead yet alive is a creative representation of the fact that we who are alive are also mortal, destined to die. The resulting confrontation with death arouses anxiety, but also has the potential to enrich life. ...
Theology, 1996
But it will not answer our further question, 'Why is all this so?' Now let us be clear: o... more But it will not answer our further question, 'Why is all this so?' Now let us be clear: one need not ask this further 'Why?' One need not, but the natural momentum of the search for explanation may lead one to. Again, one may ask the question but think that there is no answer; one may think that all that can be said is that things just are so. But equally one may notice that there is a possible answer, an answer which is already metaphysically available. We have seen that the belief in objective value commits us to the belief that this objective value can make a difference. We have seen that this opens up the possibility that it might make a difference not only at the level of thought, but more generally. Well then, we could take advantage of this possibility. Impelled by the natural momentum of the search for explanation we could take a further step. We could say that there is a universe such as this, obeying laws such as these, because it is good that it should be so. The step is not compulsory, but it is possible:
Misogyny in the Western Philosophical Tradition, 1999
Women Stud Int Forum, 1998
... these schools. 38. Several grassroots feminist networks organise women's ministries, con... more ... these schools. 38. Several grassroots feminist networks organise women's ministries, con-ferences, and publications, such as Talitha Cumi in Lima, Peru and the Con-spirando Collective in Santiago, Chile. Catholic women's ...
Women Stud Int Forum, 1996
The Philosophers' Magazine, 1999
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Papers by Professor Beverley Clack