Asymmetries of power and frontiers of justice in Hume's philosophy - the cases of animals, “indians” and women les cas des animaux, des « Indiens » et des femmes

https://doi.org/10.25100/pfilosofica.v0i61S.14303

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Published: Jun 5, 2025
Issue: No. 61S (2025): Praxis Filosófica No. 61 Supplement: Hume and the Feminine. Towards a New Philosophical Narrative
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Authors

  Maria Isabel Limongi Universidade Federal do Paraná, Curitiba, Brasil.
Abstract

In a passage from An Inquiry Concerning the Principle of Morals (EPM.III. 1. 190-191), Hume states that social intercourse mediated by rules of justice presupposes a certain equality of power between the parties. Three examples of asymmetries of power making the mediation of justice impossible or difficult are offered: the inequality between men and animals, between barbarian "Indians" and civilized Europeans, and between men and women. The passage is full of difficulties and pitfalls, starting with the suggestion that it is not up to the justice system to correct the inequalities mentioned. My aim is to show that what is at stake is the widening of the frontiers of justice as a result of the process of civilization.

Keywords
  • Power
  • Justice
  • Inequality
  • Civilization
  • Barbarism
Author Biography

Maria Isabel Limongi, Universidade Federal do Paraná, Curitiba, Brasil.

Maria Isabel Limongi é professora titular de Filosofia política moderna na Universidade Federal do Paraná e pesquisadora do CNPq. Possui graduação (1990), mestrado (1994) e doutorado em Filosofia (1999) pela Universidade de São Paulo, Brasil. É autora de O homem excêntrico, paixões e virtudes em Thomas Hobbes (Loyola, 2009) e Hume, a justiça e o pensamento político moderno (Alameda, 2023). Lidera o grupo de pesquisa Direito e Política UFPR/CNPq.

References

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How to Cite
Limongi, M. I. (2025). Asymmetries of power and frontiers of justice in Hume’s philosophy - the cases of animals, “indians” and women: les cas des animaux, des « Indiens » et des femmes. Praxis Filosófica, (61S), e20214303. https://doi.org/10.25100/pfilosofica.v0i61S.14303
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Received 2024-06-28
Accepted 2025-03-25
Published 2025-06-05

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