ABSTRACT
In this chapter, the author explores the issue by looking at the case of Immanuel Kant, concentrating on the work of his “critical” period. After briefly presenting Kant’s views on the relation between the sexes, she addresses the question how one should deal with the fact that he apparently only means “men” (masculine) when he speaks of “human beings” in his moral and political philosophy. The author says something about the use of the “we”-form, the use of generic terms, and the use of inclusive language, and then addresses the issue of whether one can ignore Kant’s views on the sexes or not. She mentions some examples, which show that Kant held on to his views against different kinds of resistance. The author outlines the approach, one that better accounts for the tension between Kant’s generic language and his gender-specific remarks.
