Ethical Review On Judith Butler's Performative Theory Of Gender

Judith Butler is one of the most famous post-structuralism philosophers in current American. She has contributed to the fields of feminism, queer theory, political philosophy, and ethics. As the main spokesperson of post-feminism, Butler has made particularly outstanding contributions on the issue of gender which is the core problem to feminism. What she has developed a theory which is termed gendered performance rolled up a storm in the field of gender study, so that some people say that her theory of gendered performance represents the cutting edge of development in the discourse system. In 20 years, Butler elucidates, defends and reconstructs the theory. Hence, her research constitutes a beautiful landscape in the field of gender theory in West, even in the whole history of the development of feminism, so she has been termed'the queen of gender study in the reign.'However, like this gender theorist who has been quite well known in the West, our gender theory researchers have not paid enough attention on her. It can be said, there are very few people to study Butler's gendered performance systematically and thoroughly, it is particularly worth mentioning is that, so far, almost no one examines on Butler's gendered performance from ethical point of view to demonstrate its legality and legitimacy. We think this is a regrettable thing. Therefore, this article is trying to solve these problems, and make some depth and meticulous research, which is the value and significance of this article. This thesis mainly discusses the following four aspects:The first part introduces the background of Butler's gendered performance. The production of gendered performance of Butler has a complex background and profound theoretical origin. At that time the community has a big discussion about sex /gender, the feminist Movement and the gay Movement faced the difficulties in identity, and as a lesbian, Butler's personal experience prompted her to think about gender issues. In theory, Butler draws on Foucault's discourse theory, Austin's speech act theory, Derrida's iterability and citation theory, so it formed the performative theory of gender.The second part describes the main contents of Butler's gendered performance. Butler argues that gender is performative,'gender is only a discourse about identity','gender is not a being, but a doing','it is a temporary identity'. So, gender is not innate, fixed, binary opposition, but fluid, changed, and diverse. It varies according to social context over time.The third part mainly discusses the ethical values of Butler's gendered performance implied. Butler thinks that gender is performative, this theory has led to a whole new idea in the field of gender ethics, it has led to the deconstruction of gender, advocating a new concept of gender freedom: to treat the other in gender field openly, anyone is free to express one's gender and sexuality, recognition of portfolio diversification and liberalization of the family; its rewriting gender has created a new concept of gender equality:it makes a variety of gender harmony ,a variety of gender equality of opportunity, and respects for individual freedom of choice of sexuality, it has changed women's sex / gender ideas, and makes women aware of women's sex not only for reproductive and sexual services for men, but for her own; and there is no inferiority or superiority in gender .it makes women have enough courage to fellow men to compete in all fields, so it has improved women's social status and values. etc, thus, this idea is leading to a new era of gender.The fourth part focuses on the cause of ethical confusion of Butler's gendered performance. As Butler's gendered performance too much emphasis on social construction of gender, neglects of the physical nature of gender, it blurred the traditional binary gender boundaries. So, it poses serious challenges to the traditional culture agreed on which is marriage and family ethics, reproductive ethics, sexual ethics, gender ethics, social ethics, etc, thus, it will trigger an array of ethical confusion.The part of conclusion mainly pointed out that the influence of Butler's the theory of gendered performance developed, its rationality and limitations. The theory of gendered performance has great impact on the contemporary Western feminist theory, lesbian and gay studies, and became the theoretical foundation of the emerging Western queer theory. Butler's gendered performance has some reasonability: It treated the gender from the perspective of historical materialism and pointed out that gender is a product of history;it is inspiration to people on the methodology, and indicated that we should treat the people and things from multiple angles It advocated to respect for the sex'the other'and against the violence of the gender norms brought, it has humanitarian color. It also has some limitations which it ignored the nature of gender and the complexity of society.