Susan Moller Okin 1946-2004

Off Our Backs, Mar/Apr 2004 by Douglas, Carol Anne, Musumeci, Rena, Bunyan, Chris, Young, Angie

Feminist philosopher Susan Moller Okin was found dead at her home in Lincoln, Massachusetts, on March 3rd. Okin is world renowned for her pioneering contributions to political philosophy. She was one of the first political philosophers to talk about principles of justice beyond the public sphere, applying those principles to the family and the domestic sphere. More recently, she focused her academic and political work on women in the least developed countries. She worked closely with the Global Fund for Women, a grant making foundation that supports women's human rights, speaking out against poverty and allying herself with the "poor but vibrant communities" of India where women were organizing for a better life.

Okin was born in Aukland, New Zealand in 1946. She earned her Ph.D. in philosophy from Harvard in 1975 and taught at several universities in the New Zealand and the U.S. before joining the Philosophy Department at Stanford in 1990. At the time of her death, Okin was a distinguished visiting fellow at the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study. Her family members request that donations in Okin's memory be made to the Global Fund for Women, 1375 Sutter St., Suite 400, San Francisco, CA 94109.

news compiled by cad, rena musumeci, chris bunyan and angie young