Feminist author Mary Harrington (@movesincircles) joins the podcast to talk about how technology has shaped the history of women's issues, where she foresees the movement headed, and how to rein in the excesses of an increasingly neoliberal society.

In her book "Feminism Against Progress," Harrington presents a provocative thesis challenging the traditional notion of progress, arguing that its current trajectory is disproportionately favoring a privileged minority of women while jeopardizing the rights and autonomy of the majority. Harrington traces the roots of women's liberation not to moral advancement but to the material upheavals of the Industrial Revolution.

As society transitions from the industrial era to the age of AI, biotech, and pervasive computing, Harrington contends that technological advancements are blurring natural boundaries and eroding entrenched gender roles. While this shift may seem empowering for a select group of affluent women, it also facilitates the commodification of female bodies, intimacy, and reproductive capacities.

Harrington paints a grim picture of a future where economic inequality exacerbates the exploitation of marginalized women, reducing them to mere suppliers of organs and rented wombs for the affluent. In this stark warning, she highlights how progress has ceased to be a boon for the majority of women, emphasizing the urgent need for a feminism that challenges the unchecked pursuit of progress in the 21st century to safeguard women's interests.

Follow Mary on Twitter: @movesincircles

Check out her articles on UnHerd

Buy Feminism Against Progress

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