# Marilyn Frye

Marilyn Frye (born 1941) is an American philosopher and radical feminist theorist. She is known for her theories on sexism, racism, oppression, and sexuality. Her writings offer discussions of feminist topics, such as: white supremacy, male privilege, and gay and lesbian marginalization. Although she approaches the issues from the perspective of justice, she is also engaged with the metaphysics, epistemology, and moral psychology of social categories.
Frye is a lesbian, and much of her work explores social categories—in particular, those based on race and gender.

## Education and career

Frye received a BA with honors in philosophy from Stanford University in 1963 and a PhD in philosophy at Cornell University in 1969. She wrote her dissertation, titled Meaning and Illocutionary Force, under the supervision of Max Black. Before coming to Michigan State University in 1974, she taught in the philosophy department at the University of Pittsburgh. From 2003 until her retirement, Frye was University Distinguished Professor at Michigan State University; she also served as Associate Dean for Graduate Studies of the College of Arts and Letters. In 2008 she was the Phi Beta Kappa Romanell Lecturer.

## Research and publications

Frye is the author of The Politics of Reality (1983), a collection of nine essays which has become a "classic" of feminist philosophy.

## Views
### The Double-Bind

In her chapter entitled "Oppression" in the book Feminist Frontiers, Frye discusses the idea of the double bind in gender. This double bind refers to "situations in which options are reduced to a very few and all of them expose one to penalty, censure or deprivation". Frye applies this principle to gender and the dilemma women often face in her discussion of oppression. For example, it is neither socially acceptable for a woman to be sexually active or for her to be sexually inactive and labelled a "man-hater" or "uptight". This absence of choice permeates so thoroughly into women's day-to-day life that even small things like how they choose to dress or talk are criticized. Frye acknowledges that men face issues as well, but differentiates the issues of men and women through the metaphor of a bird cage. As Frye tells it, each individual bind women face can be thought of as a single bar in a cage: by itself, it isn't enough to contain the bird. But, with enough bars, the bird is trapped inside the cage, left with nowhere to go. This is the complete absence of choice Frye describes: how it is the culmination of issues women face that is so "immobilizing" and why, for Frye, their struggle—and not men's—is considered oppression.

### Marriage

In a 2013 interview in Stance, an international undergraduate philosophy journal, Marilyn Frye stated that she was against the institution of marriage, citing its "terrible history in patriarchy". Frye called it "curious" that lesbians and gay men were fighting for the right to participate in historically patriarchal institutions such as marriage and the military. However, she ceded that the concrete benefits that come with such statuses should not be overlooked. She also mentioned the fear of some that gay marriage might "undermine and eventually destroy the institution of heterosexual marriage." Frye stated that she "hope[s] maybe they're right," as she is against the existence of the institution.

### Intra-Feminist Critiques

Marilyn Frye has emphasized in the past her concern with disengagement among feminists. She critiques those who categorize themselves as "good feminists" in an attempt to maintain moderacy or avoid the more radical, controversial feminists. She also argues that feminists should consider and include the "feminist forbearers" and the "contexts" of their work when writing, in order to create a sort of vital "genealogy of feminist thought."

## Awards and distinctions

* Frye was named Distinguished Woman Philosopher of the Year by the Society for Women in Philosophy in 2001.
* Frye was chosen as Phi Beta Kappa's Romanell Professor in Philosophy for 2007-2008. The annually-awarded Romanell Professorship "recognizes the recipient's distinguished achievement and substantial contribution to the public understanding of philosophy." Recipients of this award also offer a series of lectures open to the public; Frye's series was entitled "Kinds of People: Ontology and Politics."