Ideal Speech and Feminist Discourse:

Modern or postmodern? This debate which has long raged among political theorists now plays a central role in feminist theory. Although traditional theorists typically choose a side, feminist theorists often split the difference. Since feminist struggles require unity and diversity, they construct and deconstruct "Woman" to suit "Her" purposes. This strategy raises the political questions: Who decides who "we" are? How should that decision be made? In this article, I argue that Haberma's ideal speech situation re-visioned as "solidarity-in-progress" helps answer those questions. It provides a discourse for feminist theorists.