Abstract
In this paper I bring the experience of maternal embodiment into dialogue with Georges Bataille’s conception of the erotic. Maternal embodiment con-firms some aspects of Bataille’s theory, but also presses on it in some important ways. I want to suggest that women, particularly for those whose sexual activity may lead to pregnancy, have an even more poignant experience of the erotic than Bataille anticipates. There is truth in the joke: “What’s the only way to avoid getting pregnant?” “Be a man.” It points to the fact that the possibility of pregnancy makes women uniquely vulnerable. Certainly, men may also realize their vulnerability via sexual encounters, but our current cultural imaginary surrounding masculinity discourages this insight. The possibility of becoming pregnant highlights the relation-ship between sexuality and death which is at the core of Bataille’s under-standing of the erotic. Given that this is an experience that only women may have, I argue that they have a unique perspective that can add to our understanding of the erotic.
Original language | American English |
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Title of host publication | Phenomenology of Pregnancy |
State | Published - 2016 |
Keywords
- philosophy
- phenomenology
- pregnancy
- maternity
Disciplines
- Philosophy
- Feminist Philosophy