Date: Friday, March 14, 2025
The Pacifica Center for Philosophy and Theology’s Leisure at the Lyceum, in partnership with USC’s Nova Forum and Pilgrim Lutheran Church, was pleased to host
Dr. Erika Bachiochi
The Rights of Women, Reclaiming a Lost Vision
The Influence of Mary Wollstonecraft on Women’s Rights
The Lyceum Seminar
During the afternoon, in a Socratic-style seminar, Dr. Bachiochi engaged with a group of 15 Honors students from the Center of Philosophy and Theology on her article entitled “Sex-Realist Feminism.” During this discussion, Dr. Bachiochi guided the students through an intellectual history of how women have been perceived. She commenced with Plato’s conception of women, progressing through Aristotle’s views and culminating in the perspectives of Mary Wollstonecraft, John Locke, and contemporary thinkers. Throughout this analysis, Dr. Bachiochi elucidated the recurring theme of sexual asymmetry—the inherent disparity in reproduction between men and women—as the fundamental basis for understanding women’s roles and experiences. According to Dr. Bachiochi, this sexual asymmetry has been the defining characteristic of every wave of feminism, with varying approaches to addressing its implications.
Dr. Bachiochi emphasized that contemporary feminism has posited technological advancements, such as the birth control pill and abortion, as the solution to the sexual asymmetry. However, she argued that these technological solutions have unintended consequences, causing harm to women while simultaneously absolving men of responsibility in the realm of reproduction.
Throughout the seminar, students engaged in thoughtful discussions with Dr. Bachiochi, posing questions on the nature of male and female characteristics, the biblical interpretation of gender differences, and the appropriate role of men in addressing the complexities of sexual asymmetry.
The Fireside Chat
In a recent evening fireside chat with Head of School Jim Knight, Dr. Erika Bachiochi elucidated the central themes of her book, The Rights of Women: Reclaiming a Lost Vision. Dr. Bachiochi began by describing how her personal story became the impetus behind her engagement in the discourse of women’s rights, her current perspective on that conversation, and the genesis of her book.
During the substantive conversation, Dr. Bachiochi asserted that the contemporary feminist movement has deviated from a vision of women’s rights grounded in responsibilities to God, oneself, family, and community. She advocated for a return to a more communitarian and moral framework. To this end, Dr. Bachiochi emphasized the biblical vision of Mary Wollstonecraft, articulated in the Vindication of the Rights of Woman, who envisioned women as spiritual and virtuous equals to men. This vision was grounded in the Imago Dei of Genesis. In contrast to Mary Wollstonecraft’s vision, Dr. Bachiochi critiqued the evolution of feminism, highlighting how it has diverged from Mary Wollstonecraft’s conception of women’s rights.
Dr. Erika Bachiochi is a Fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center, specializing in Equal Protection jurisprudence, Catholic social teaching, and sexual ethics. She speaks widely on abortion, sexual economics, the new feminism, the impact of the new sexual norms on women and the poor, care ethics, and authentic reproductive justice.
Ms. Bachiochi’s essays have appeared in publications such as the Harvard Journal of Law and Public Policy, Christian Bioethics (Oxford University), First Things, CNN.com, National Review Online, Claremont Review of Books, SCOTUSblog, and Public Discourse. Particularly noteworthy is the article “Embodied Equality: Debunking Equality Protection Arguments for Abortion Rights” (2011). She is the editor of two books, Women, Sex & the Church: A Case for Catholic Teaching (Pauline Books & Media, 2010) and The Cost of “Choice”: Women Evaluate the Impact of Abortion (Encounter Books, 2004). Her most recent book, The Rights of Women: Reclaiming a Lost Vision is based on the work of Mary Wollstonecraft.
Ms. Bachiochi has represented the Holy See at the Commission on the Status of Women at the United Nations, has presented at conferences sponsored by the Vatican, and was a speaker at the World Meeting of Families in 2015. Ms. Bachiochi serves on the Advisory Council of the Catholic Women’s Forum, is a contributor to the Law Professor Blogs Network blog, Mirror of Justice, and was a founder of St. Benedict’s, a classical Catholic school in Massachusetts, where she served as President of the Board from 2013-2015.
She is working on a book tentatively entitled, Missing from the Bench: Women, Rights, and the Supreme Court. She and her husband have six children.