Part of our job as academics is to rethink accepted orthodoxies, not necessarily to seek either their confirmation or their replacement, but sometimes simply to demonstrate their internal coherences and/or incoherences. Sometimes we question intellectual orthodoxies to pursue a specific normative agenda and sometimes it is merely to demonstrate that there are other ways of thinking about them. Our job is to ask questions, especially those previously thought to be unaskable. Feminist theorists know that project, that experience and history, especially well. And we also know the power and responsibility that come with it.

In Split Decisions: How and Why to Take a Break from Feminism, Professor Janet Halley of Harvard University offered in 2006 her argument for why those who are interested in a left of centre theory and politics of sexuality might want to look at them from outside what was widely thought to have been their home: feminism. She asked us to ‘take a break’ from feminism: ‘Not kill it, supersede it, abandon it; immure, immolate, or bury it – merely spend some time outside it exploring theories of sexuality, inhabiting realities, and imagining political goals that do not fall within its terms’ (p. 10).

Her request has been characterised variously as exciting, irritating, refreshing and frustrating. Her argument in support of that request has been described alternately as provocative, engaging, reductionist and groundbreaking. On any view, here was clearly an important book which had elicited international reaction and provoked much debate. The International Journal of Law in Context is delighted to be able to contribute to the continued discussion of Professor Halley’s work. We publish here, in a symposium format, responses from seven US and UK academics to Professor Halley’s book. As readers will see, the reaction here continues to span the range of interpretation and response the book has received elsewhere.

Professor Halley was invited to contribute to this symposium but unfortunately was not able to participate.