Linda Hirshman

Linda Redlick Hirshman (born April 26, 1944 in Cleveland, Ohio) is a lawyer, feminist, and the author of The Woman's Guide to Law School and Hard Bargains: The Politics of Sex. She is former professor of Philosophy and Women's Studies at Brandeis University. She holds a law degree from the University of Chicago and a Ph.D. in philosophy. She has written for a variety of periodicals, including Glamour, Tikkun, Ms., the ABA Journal, and the Boston Globe.

Criticism

Hirshman was named number 77 on Bernard Goldberg's list of 100 People Who Are Screwing Up America. Goldberg criticized Hirshman for comments she made in a segment produced by Lesley Stahl on 60 Minutes in October of 2004. Hirshman's comments involved young, well-educated women who chose to give up high-paying, high-powered, and prestigious jobs in order to stay home and take care of their children. In the segment, Hirshman argued that this kind of decision would only lead to a lesser life for these women- "These women are choosing lives in which they do not use their capacity for very complicated work, they're choosing lives in which they do not use their capacity to deal with very powerful other adults in the world, which takes a lot of skill. I think there are better lives and worse lives."

Goldman criticizes her for these remarks, arguing that Hirshman is a perfect example of a condescending old-fashioned radical feminist. He disagrees with her complete disdain for the traditional roles of women as mothers.