AMY R. BAEHR PERFECTIONISM, FEMINISM AND PUBLIC REASON* (Accepted 19 September 2007) Can feminism be a public political philosophy, or part of one? By Ôpublic political philosophyÕ is meant, with John Rawls, an account of the just uses of state power that aspires to ‘‘serve as the basis of lasting and reasoned political agreement’’ under conditions of reasonable pluralism. 1 Under such conditions, Rawls tells us, the free use of human reason leads citizens to hold diverse comprehensive doctrines. As Rawls defines it, a comprehensive doctrine is an account of ‘‘what is of value in human life, ideals of personal character, as well as ideals of friendship and associational relationships and much else that is to inform conduct.’’ 2 Because under conditions of reasonable pluralism citizens cannot be expected to agree on a particular comprehensive doctrine, such a doctrine cannot be a basis of lasting and reasoned political agreement. 3 Rawls tells us that agreement must be based instead on ‘‘political values everyone can reasonably be expected to endorse.’’ 4 To limit oneself to * This paper is dedicated to the memory of Susan M. Okin. Thanks are due to three anonymous readers for this journal, as well as to Andrew Altman, Ken Baynes, Robert Lecky, Linda McClain, Cynthia Stark, and Kimberly Yuracko for valuable comments. 1 John Rawls, Political Liberalism (New York: Columbia University Press, 1993), p. 58. 2 Rawls (1993, p. 13). 3 Rawls (1993, p. 62; see also p. 225). 4 Ibid., p. 241. Law and Philos (2008) 27:193–222 Ó Springer 2007 DOI 10.1007/s10982-007-9017-3