The Dignity of Dependence: A Feminist Manifesto

“In contrast to the prevailing “feminism of freedom,” the “feminism of care” promoted by Sargeant and her contemporaries like Mary Harrington promotes the holistic well-being of women in the context of their relationships, particularly motherhood. The Dignity of Dependence deserves a place on the shelf of anyone interested in this developing school of thought.” ―Fare Forward

“In this atmosphere, it’s remarkable to hear an influential conservative voice calling for more, not less, feminization. . . . But her overarching message to put others first, as women so often do, is a much-needed antidote to the celebration of the masculine and denigration of the feminine that have become a hallmark of the right.” ―The Atlantic

“What Sargeant invites is fundamentally a change of mind first before a practical set of actions. . . . Her insight deserves an especially wide hearing, especially if Christians can proclaim it with right emphasis: less servant leadership as claimed by people more interested in the ‘leadership’ part, and more outright service. Less self-sufficiency and more self-gift. We all bear dignity. We all need help.” ―Christianity Today

“Ultimately, Sargeant’s book is not just a challenge to the direction of contemporary feminism, which seeks the obliteration of gender norms altogether, but a challenge to a philosophical trend that places agency above all other goods. . . . While Sargeant suggests certain policy changes that would better reflect this human reality, her project is ultimately a philosophical one. As she writes in the first chapter, ‘No just society can be built on the basis of a false anthropology.’ This book is a crucial contribution to rebuilding that foundation.” ―Washington Free Beacon

“Sargeant has provided an essential alternative to feminist ideals that efface womanhood, and The Dignity of Dependence should be assigned on every college campus in the country. This book is a much-needed antidote to the poisonous alienation between the sexes that besets our culture.” ―The Federalist

“What Leah Libresco Sargeant’s new book encourages the reader to consider is that dependence, properly understood, actually goes far deeper, and that self-sufficiency is, essentially, a kind of mirage. In its moral imagination and clear-eyed assessment of the reality of what it means to be human, The Dignity of Dependence inherits and builds upon the best tradition of Christian radicalism.” ―Family Matters

“Sargeant’s book is a must-read not only for those involved in feminist discourse, but for anybody concerned with creating a kinder and more inclusive society.” ―Institute for Family Studies

“So, yes, to the dignity of dependence. Can we grab hold of it? Can we honour it? When we do so, especially as women, we may find the trajectory of an autonomous, expedient, falsely independent and efficient-in-all-the-wrong-ways world actually changes. To this end, may the readership for Sargeant’s book be large and appreciative.” ―The Catholic Register

“Sargeant blends personal anecdote with policy discussion and cultural commentary. . . . The resulting book is something akin to a phenomenology of everyday vulnerability and love.” ―First Things

“The Dignity of Dependence makes a nuanced argument not only about a better model of feminism but also about the importance of a proper anthropology to ground our politics and economics.” ―Religion & Liberty

“The Dignity of Dependence provides a window into Leah Libresco Sargeant’s beautiful mind, allowing us to see the world as she sees it and to imagine we can become the men and women she believes we can be. This magnificent book is a love letter, not only to her own beloved husband and children, but to all women, all children, and all men, too. A humane and dignified vision of how men, women, and children can thrive together, as the kinds of beings we are, with plenty of space for the most vulnerable among us.” ―Erika Bachiochi, author of The Rights of Women

“[The Dignity of Dependence] is a manifesto for another kind of feminism, laying out both an overarching vision (especially in the opening pages), one discomfiting to the political left and right alike, and the concrete particulars, the decisions and values and policy choices, necessary to implement it. . . . The book is a culmination and synthesis of [Sargeant’s] public writing for more than a decade.” ―Arc: Religion, Politics, Et Cetera

“Instead of attempting to erase the innate biological differences which make women more dependent, Libresco Sargeant calls for husbands and extended family to participate in caregiving, thus dignifying women’s dependence.” ―The Critic

“[I]f truth is not relative, as Sargeant argues it isn’t, then men and women truly need each other for not only survival but sanctification. And they need a society that sees them for what they are: fully human.” ―Commonplace

“Sargeant skewers the modern notion that fulfillment is to be found in unencumbered selfhood and in taking on only freely chosen obligations.” ―National Review

“Even if it is not a good in itself, dependence is surely part of the human condition, and there is much to gain from deeper reflection on that theme. By leading readers into those waters, The Dignity of Dependence has made a real contribution, not only to feminism, but to broader conversations about the foundations of a thriving culture.” ―Law & Liberty

“This is a beautifully written book with a compelling message about the limits of autonomy as a social ideal. A strength of this book is its broad interdisciplinary scope.” ―The Catholic Weekly

“As a manifesto, [The Dignity of Dependence] offers a clear way of bridging the gender divide that is leaving so many outwardly independent people lonely and isolated.” ―The Irish Times

“All humans are at one time or other dependent; total independence is not only undesirable, it’s impossible, and to pretend anything else is denying reality. “Our ties to others are not an obstacle to self-actualization, but the foundation for the authentic self.” The Dignity of Dependence is a challenging read but also a thoughtful one, and a thoroughly human one.” ―World

“In a world that increasingly expects individuals to choose personal convenience over tethering to others, The Dignity of Dependence reminds us that dependence and its ability to anchor us to reality is essential to our humanity. . . . By choosing to live for someone else, we subject ourselves to the reality Sargeant speaks of and can reap the rich personal rewards it offers.” ―Civitas Outlook

“In a cultural moment obsessed with self-optimisation and individual achievement, The Dignity of Dependence offers a necessary corrective. It invites readers to rethink what it means to be strong, free, and fully human. Sargeant’s vision is not nostalgic or regressive―it’s a bold call to build communities and policies that reflect the truth of our shared vulnerability. This is a manifesto that does not shout. It persuades through clarity, compassion, and a profound respect for the human person.” ―Lodestar

Leah Libresco Sargeant works on family policy in Washington, DC. She is the author of Building the Benedict Option and Arriving at Amen. She runs the Substack community Other Feminisms.