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Enlightened Virtue

In: Gender, Authenticity and Leadership

Author

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  • Rita A. Gardiner

    (The University of Western Ontario)

Abstract

In a famous essay written in 1782, Immanuel Kant argued that it is only when a man is free to make his own choices that he can be said to be enlightened (pp. 58–65). In his opinion, ‘enlightened’ freedom was composed of three components: the ability to think for oneself; the ability to think from the standpoint of others; and, lastly, the capacity to think and act in concert with one’s beliefs. In this chapter, I examine how Enlightenment ideas about freedom related differently to men and women, especially in regards to societal notions of authenticity and leadership. I focus on Western Europe, since this was where modern ideas surrounding authenticity were initially formulated (Taylor, 1991). In tracing authenticity’s modern underpinnings to the emergence of bourgeois selfhood, I show how gendered notions of what constituted right conduct served to enhance men’s freedom while simultaneously restricting women’s agency.

Suggested Citation

  • Rita A. Gardiner, 2015. "Enlightened Virtue," Palgrave Macmillan Books, in: Gender, Authenticity and Leadership, chapter 4, pages 57-84, Palgrave Macmillan.
    • Handle: RePEc:pal:palchp:978-1-137-46045-5_4
    DOI: 10.1057/9781137460455_4
    as

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