The Symbolic Order of the Mother

In The Symbolic Order of the Mother Luisa Muraro identifies the bond between mother and child as ontologically fundamental to the development of culture and politics, and therefore as key to achieving truly emancipatory political change. Both corporeal development and language acquisition, which are the sources of all thinking, begin in this relationship. However, Western civilization has been defined by men, and Muraro recalls the admiration and envy she felt for the great philosophers as she strove to become one herself, as well as the desire for independence that opposed her to her mother. This conflict between philosophy and culture on the one hand and the relationship with the mother on the other constitutes the root of patriarchy's symbolic disorder, which blocks women's (and men's) access to genuine freedom. Muraro appeals to the feminist practice of gratitude to the mother and the recognition of her authority as a model of unconditional nurture and support that must be restored. This, she argues, is the symbolic order of the mother that must overcome the disorder of patriarchy. The mediating power of the mother tongue constitutes a symbolic order that comes before all others, for both women and men.

Foreword Alison Stone Translator's Note Francesca Novello Introduction: From Separation to Creative Difference Timothy S. Murphy Author's Note to the English-Language Edition Preface 1. The Difficulty of Beginning 2. Knowing How to Love the Mother as a Sense of Being 3. The Word, a Gift from the Mother 4. Or the One in Her Place 5. The Circle of Flesh 6. The Abyssal Distance Notes Index