Freedom and dependency from a feminist perspective - a comparison between Nina Björk, Martha C. Nussbaum and Simone de Beauvoir

Abstract: This paper will deal with the complex interaction between our individual freedom (independence) and our deep need of other people (dependency). Western women often say that non-Western women are not free as a consequence of tradition and culture. It is rarer that we question our own so called freedom. My main purpose is to take a closer look at the relationship between independence and neediness in order to see why this relationship is problematic but also what good it might bring. This paper is an analysis of three prominent feminists? arguments regarding this matter. I have turned to Nina Björk, Martha C. Nussbaum and Simone de Beauvoir in order to find answers to my questions. My results are a reflection of the complications but also the possibilities that this interaction creates. Feminist theory is occupied with this question as well and my choice to consult the above mentioned feminists is no coincidence. Their some what opaque position is a trend within feminist theory which today lacks a coherent reference point as far as women and women's rights are concerned.