Adriana Cavarero
Adriana Cavarero | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1947 Bra, Italy |
| Nationality | Italian |
| Occupation | Philosopher |
| Known for | Feminist theory, political philosophy, narrative identity |
Adriana Cavarero (born 1947) is an Italian philosopher and feminist thinker. She is Professor of Political Philosophy at the Università degli Studi di Verona, where she has held a position since 1983.[1][2]
Cavarero is widely recognized for her work on feminism, theories of sexual difference, Hannah Arendt, narrative theory, and political philosophy. Trained in ancient philosophy, particularly Plato, and influenced by Luce Irigaray, her writings critique patriarchal structures in philosophical texts and develop concepts of relational selfhood and vulnerability.[1][3]
Biography
Born in Bra, Italy, Cavarero studied at the University of Padua, where she completed a thesis on philosophy and poetry in 1971. In 1983, she moved to the University of Verona, co-founding the Diotima group, a feminist philosophical collective focused on political engagement through sexual difference.[1][3]
She has held visiting positions at the University of California, Berkeley and Santa Barbara, New York University, and Harvard University.[1]
Work
Cavarero's early work, such as In Spite of Plato, deconstructs ancient texts by Plato, Homer, and Parmenides to liberate female figures like Penelope and Demeter from patriarchal narratives.[1]
In Relating Narratives: Storytelling and Selfhood (2000), she proposes the "narratable self," contrasting the metaphysical sovereign subject with a relational ontology emphasizing vulnerability, dependence, and reciprocal exposure. This theory, influenced by Hannah Arendt, posits selfhood as emerging through others' narratives, addressing the "who" rather than the "what" of existence.[1][4]
Stately Bodies examines bodily metaphors in political discourse, from Sophocles' Antigone to Hobbes' Leviathan.[1] In Inclinations: A Critique of Rectitude (2016), she critiques the upright homo erectus figure, advocating an inclined subjectivity open to others.[3]
Later works engage political theology, such as "The Archeology of Homicide" in dialogue with Angelo Scola, and explore nonviolence rooted in relational uniqueness.[3]
Cavarero's philosophy emphasizes an "ontology of plural uniqueness," rooted in embodied singularity, plurality, and interrelation, challenging universalist metaphysics.[5][6]
Feminist collectives
Cavarero co-founded Diotima in Verona, a key site of philosophy of sexual difference. She participated in the Women’s Bookstore Collective in Milan and the journal DonnaWomanFemme in Rome, creating autonomous feminist spaces outside male-dominated institutions.[3]
Key concepts
- Narratable self: Identity as relational and disclosed through storytelling by others.[4]
- Relational ontology: Emphasizes vulnerability, exposure, and interdependence over sovereign autonomy.[1][2]
- Philosophy of sexual difference: Critiques universal "Man" to affirm embodied, sexed singularities.[3][5]
- Inclined subjectivity: Opposes rectitude with openness and altruism toward others.[3]
Selected publications
- In Spite of Plato (1995)
- Stately Bodies (1996)
- Relating Narratives: Storytelling and Selfhood (2000)
- Inclinations: A Critique of Rectitude (2016)
- "The Archeology of Homicide" (in Thou Shalt Not Kill, 2015)[1][3]
See also
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8 "Adriana Cavarero - Wikipedia". Retrieved 2026-01-31.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 "Adriana Cavarero". Retrieved 2026-01-31.
{{cite web}}: Text "CCCB" ignored (help) - ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 3.7 "Adriana Cavarero - Political Theology Network". Retrieved 2026-01-31.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 "Adriana Cavarero - Iberian Connections - Yale University". Retrieved 2026-01-31.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 "[PDF] with a face, a name and a story."1 Adriana Cavarero". Retrieved 2026-01-31.
- ↑ "An Interview with the Italian Feminist Philosopher Adriana Cavarero". Retrieved 2026-01-31.