Feminism Against Progress

By: Mary Harrington

Narrated by: Mary Harrington

Length: 6 hrs and 30 mins

Publisher's summary

In Feminism Against Progress, Mary Harrington argues that the industrial-era faith in progress is turning against all but a tiny elite of women. Women's liberation was less the result of human moral progress than an effect of the material consequences of the Industrial Revolution. We've now left the industrial era for the age of AI, biotech and all-pervasive computing. As a result, technology is liberating us from natural limits and embodied sex differences. Although this shift benefits a small class of successful professional women, it also makes it easier to commodify women's bodies, human intimacy and female reproductive abilities.

This is a stark warning against a dystopian future whereby poor women become little more than convenient sources of body parts to be harvested and wombs to be rented by the rich. Progress has now stopped benefiting the majority of women, and only a feminism that is sceptical of it can truly defend female interests in the 21st century.

©2023 Mary Harrington (P)2023 Swift Press Audio

Insightful, relevant, compulsory reading for all modern women

I bought this book because I had heard Mary Harrington being interviewed by Louise Perry, and was interested to know more.

Her language is more academic than Perry’s in her book, and I think I will have to relisten at least once more because a lot of it went over my head. Nevertheless, her writing is impressive, and she has a lot of important thoughts to share on modern culture, what it’s like being a ‘reactive feminist’, as well as a woman and mother in todays world. Totally fascinating. I will certainly follow anything Mary does going forward. She is an important voice currently, with a finger very much on the pulse of the current culture.

Great book capture the history problems solved and pitfalls created by feminism

Harrington expertly diagnoses the state of relationships and the effect medical modernity has had on the fundamental relationship between the sexes in egalitarian societies. Her description of progressivism’s metamorphosis into a cyborg theory is well thought out

Fascinating and extremely timely book

I came to this book after seeing a lot of Mary Harrington’s interviews on various podcasts and YouTube conversations. Anyone who is a fan of her work there will find this book to be an intellectual feast. This is a bit of a dense read, but still surprisingly accessible. I can’t recommend it enough if you’re tired of the standard culture war tropes about the war between the sexes - Harrington offers a genuine and human-centric alternative that is deeply needed in this societal moment. Highly recommended!

Excellent analysis of feminism

Mary Harrington presents a thorough analysis of feminism’s roots, applications, and results. She also takes a hard look at contemporary culture and offers some ameliorating suggestions for a very complex situation.

Must Read

If curious about how we ever got into an intrasexual "cold war" - and possibilities for a way out - this is an outstanding critical analysis.

We're at our best when we are together.

women should read this book, especially feminists

Loved this book, has historical context and cited proofs as well as discussing the natural and logical progressions of certain thought processes and issues that we face today when it comes to gender dynamics in this century. This should be a must read for every female especially those who claim to be feminists and are of the "liberal progressive" type. hopefully would give them some self reflection about life and critically question their belief system and if it is really "the way".

Truely a woman behaving badly

I heard about this on a right wing podcast and figured id give it a listen because she eemed to have some pretty solid ideas.

i thought shed be far right and i couldnt be more wrong. i dont know what she would say she is, bjt all i know is that this has inspired me to read more feminist lit.

it seems like an intersectional femi ist critiqhe if the current capitalist market economics as they have combined with technology into a whirlwind which may have just gotten past us a bit.

not a case for reducing womens rights, but a case for pause and measured reason about the true price of advancement.

it may not be fashionable to say some of these things, but all technologies come with a cost. i like that she doesnt call for bans, reversals of freedom or anytbing of the like, but just a reconsideration of the other side of the coin.

So good

If you’re female
And you think your career is more important than having kids
You should give this a listen

Humans are embodied! Important and insightful analysis

This is a courageous book. A voice crying in the wilderness. The analysis of technology and its ideological dynamics is really important. we need more feminism affirming the goodness of embodiment!

I’ll be going through this a second time.

Mary gives me hope. Great thinker, writer and wit. There’s so much to digest here. Riveting.