Iris Murdoch was one of the best-known philosophers and novelists of the post-war period. Her leanings towards feminism can be detected in some of her most famous novels, but her philosophy suggests an ambivalence about sexual equality. In this book, Sabina Lovibond explores the tangled and controversial issue of Murdoch¿s stance towards gender and feminism. Lovibond analyses Murdoch's most famous novels and her key philosophical works, exploring themes such as philosophy and literature, the Platonic struggle in much of her philosophy, theories of education and articulacy, and the clash between religious and secular ethics. She argues that many of these issues need to be set against the greater context of a ¿social imaginary¿ in which Murdoch¿s work takes place. The first book to properly explore Murdoch and gender, Iris Murdoch, Gender and Philosophy is essential reading for anyone interested in Murdoch's writing, and debates in feminist philosophy and gender studies.