It is believed that public and private spheres cannot be reasonably analyzed without taking each other into consideration. Therefore, this topic requires increased attention and deep revision of the available political theories. Okin considered liberalism an approach that confronts the hierarchical structure within society and promotes personal freedom and equality still needs some analysis based on the inequality between genders.
Private life is mainly defined as the element of personal issues which are hidden from the rest of the people and require private treatment. However, public life is more about the socializing part of an individual’s relations. Traditionally, there is a clear distinction between private and public spheres of life. Personal is mainly associated with family and home issues. When the public is more related to work and officially professional fields of life. These definitions have an influence on the social structure of the population. For instance, the private or residential areas have been separated from the rest of the urban infrastructure creating the geographical border between these two issues. In addition, the separation of public and private sectors has affected gender relations and responsibilities in society.
Referring to Satz and Reich (2009), Okin was fulfilled with a feminist view towards the theories of justice. Her main idea was based on the fact that this theory should be applied equally to both genders. The theory of justice argues that each individual has the right to basic liberties, opportunities, and the same chances as other people in the society. However, the conservative way of thinking identifies a male as the one who has both private and public parts of life. At the same time, a female is represented only as a part of a man’s private life. Therefore, Okin confronts this statement by saying that the actual mental state regarding the gender roles may create a problem to apply this theory fairly and equally.
References
Satz, D. & Reich, R. (2009). Towards a humanist justice: The political philosophy of Susan Moller Okin. Oxford University Press.