Abstract
If it is true that Western political thought, in general, keeps the domestic space and its public-political implications in anonymity, despite feminist criticism, it is also true that this does not seem to be the case for Axel Honneth, at least not in Freedom´s Right. Honneth employs, in this book, a specific method – normative reconstruction –, which allows him to distil criteria of social justice directly from the normative claims that have evolved within a multifaceted set of spheres of action, including the family sphere. In this article, I seek to show that a normative project of this type not only promotes reflection on the connections between justice and families, but also requires more robust and comprehensive analysis of specific national scenarios. I also seek to present, for this very reason, some elements for a normative reconstruction of the sphere of families in Brazil, not without drawing attention to what seems to be more or less neglected by Honneth: the very uneven implications of the sexual division of labor for women, men and children. I also argue that the Honnethian program would benefit from a dialog with studies on the sexual division of labor.
Keywords
Theory of Justice; Families;
Freedom's Right
; Axel Honneth