Embodied cognition, or enactivism, holds that the body is central to perception, emotion, and thought, challenging traditional mind-body dualism. This chapter applies enactivism to social and political issues, particularly gender. Using Judith Butler's concept of performativity, it argues that gender identity arises from ongoing, embodied interactions with the world. By focusing on how values are embedded in these bodily practices, oppressive patterns can be disrupted, creating possibilities for liberation.
Loving attention—paying attention to others motivated by care, respect, and kindness—is central to both Mahayana Buddhist philosophy and feminist ethics. This chapter develops an account of loving attention and addresses two challenges: whether such attention can be accurate (the accuracy problem) and how it can be cultivated (the cultivation problem). To answer the cultivation problem, the author argues that the Buddhist skills of equanimity and mindfulness are essential for transforming from an unloving, arrogant perceiver into someone capable of loving attention. Equanimity, in particular, is a necessary component for understanding this moral and psychological development.