Maternal Thinking (Ruddick)

The concept of maternal thinking was put forward in philosopher Sara Ruddick's 1989 book Maternal Thinking: Toward a Politics of Peace. Ruddick argues that the practice of mothering engenders a certain style of thought—maternal thinking. Maternal thinking is characterized by deliberation about how to achieve the ends of the preservation, growth, and social acceptability of children. This style of thought is concrete, rather than abstract, and involves the use of a variety of faculties including reason, emotion, judgment, and care. While Ruddick notes that not all mothers or women are peaceable, she also claims that maternal thinking can provide a model for peace on the political level. Ruddick believes that thought develops in the context of a given practice. Since each practice is directed toward ...