This work investigates the core question of how traditional metaphysical frameworks fail to account for the female subject and proposes a new model of identity based on patterns of change. Christine Battersby, a prominent philosopher, draws upon historical philosophical texts and contemporary feminist theory to challenge the Cartesian notion of the static, autonomous self. She argues that identity should be understood as a process of becoming, shaped by biological and social contexts rather than fixed, essentialist categories.

Scholars in the field of feminist philosophy frequently cite this text as a significant contribution to the critique of traditional ontology. Readers often note the academic density of the prose, which requires a strong background in philosophical terminology to fully grasp the author's arguments.