The conflict

In The Conflict , Elisabeth Badinter questions the myth that every woman has the desire and natural instinct to be a mother.

The Conflict: Woman and Mother , by philosopher Elisabeth Badinter, topped the European bestseller list as one of the most important critiques of motherhood. Written in 2010 and brilliantly relevant, this bestseller brings together arguments that attempt to put women back on the path to freedom, taking a step further in relation to the recent achievements that have transformed their way of life – from contraceptive methods to better positions in the job market.

For Badinter, motherhood is the last resort that still binds women to old roles, most of which have already been revised. Although much has changed in recent decades, the idea of motherhood remains rooted in values that do not correspond to the social position of contemporary women. Besides rekindling the naturalist flame, which positions women as potential mothers, endowed with the natural gift of childbirth, this idealization imposes a series of obligations and dilemmas without opening up other possibilities of motherhood.

From this, the author presents an original argument about the purpose of being a mother. In a world with increasingly low birth rates, having a child has become a decision, something that requires planning and a declared willingness, but, above all, the sacrifice of independence for the sake of pregnancy and caregiving. It's no surprise that nowadays, motherhood is one of the reasons women return home from the workforce.

Through a generous perspective, yet without relenting from her most scathing criticisms, Elisabeth Badinter exposes in this work the most controversial aspects that have made the mother a seemingly insurmountable archetype of patriarchal culture. The expectation surrounding motherhood thus loses a certain spontaneity and becomes a demand on the destiny of women—who often don't even desire children.

“This book raises urgent questions about the place of motherhood in our times, but above all, it affirms the freedom of every woman.” – Marcia Tiburi

"Impressive research, elegant arguments, and vigorous writing. [...] Badinter's warnings about the dangers of excessive child-centeredness are, in many ways, well-founded." – The New York Times

"Badinter's polemical critique is sarcastic, urgent, and moving. [...] This is a cry for freedom." – The Wall Street Journal

“Controversial and passionate, The Conflict is at the same time a point of view, a warning and an incitement to freedom.” – Marie Claire