The chapters in this book reflect more than two decades of philosophical in-
vestigations by all four of us. During these years so many people have con-
tributed to our work that we cannot possibly name everyone here. Each of us
has, therefore, forced ourselves to hone down our acknowledgments to a
shortened list of persons vital to our work and to the production of this book.

In addition to our individual acknowledgments, we would like to express
our collective gratitude to literally thousands of students and hundreds of
colleagues at the University of New Hampshire, the University of Toronto,
and the University of Western Ontario, as well as to the members of the
Canadian Society for the Study of Education, the Canadian Society for
Women in Philosophy, the Canadian Women's Studies Association, the
National Women's Studies Association, and the Philosophy of Education
Society for providing the occasions, audiences, encouragement, challenges,
and critiques that fostered the growth of this volume.

We want to thank all of the staff at Westview Press for their fine work on
this book. Spencer Carr, Cindy Rinehart, Jennifer Blandford, and Shena
Redmond each played crucial roles at different stages. Linda Carlson's metic-
ulous and thorough copyediting deserves special mention -- any remaining
errors are mine not hers.

This book is dedicated to our mothers. My own mother, Grace Hamilton
Snelbaker, who graduated from Ohio State in 1926 with a degree in Home
Economics, never could teach me how to sew; but she did teach me how to
live, how to do philosophy, and how to practice an ethics of care. Completely
honest and unwavering in her pursuit of truth, my mother would not let a
perceived falsehood, hasty generalization, or unwarranted conclusion slip
past her. She tempered her strong streak of Scottish skepticism with a cheer-
ful sense of humor, compassionate action, and a sympathetic disposition. As a
mother myself, I want to acknowledge my debt to my two sons, John Andrew
and David Daniel Diller, who have not only brought much joy to my life but
have also made me a better teacher, opened up my concept of gender, and ex-
panded my sense of educational possibilities. Ever since the late 1960s my
philosophic work has been sustained by the meetings of Phaedra. I am grate-
ful to Phaedra's steadfast members, past and present, Nancy Clover Glock,
Beatrice Nelson, Jane Roland Martin, Jennifer Radden, Janet Farrell Smith,
Barbara Houston, and Susan Franzosa for the constructive candor of their
critiques and the perceptive persistence of their encouragement. Other col-
leagues and friends toward whom I feel a strong debt of gratitude include

-xi-