Misogyny
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| + | "When I say [[woman]], I mean a sex so fragile, so variable, so changeable, so inconstant and imperfect, that Nature, when she made woman, seems to me, speaking in all honour and reverence, to have strayed from that good sense with which she created all things." | ||
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| + | "When I speak of women," said the doctor, “I speak of a sex so fragile, so variable, so changeable, so inconstant, and so imperfect . . . that Plato, you will recall, was at a loss where to class them . . . . For nature has placed in their bodies . . . certain humors, brackish, nitrous, boracious, acrid, mordant, shooting, and bitterly tickling . . . by which the entire feminine body is shaken . . . all senses ravished . . . all thought thrown into confusion . . . sometimes so violent that the woman is thereby deprived of all other senses and powers of motion as if she had suffered from heart failure, syncope, epilepsy, apoplexy, something like death." | ||
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| + | --[[François Rabelais]] | ||
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| + | ''[[Satire VI]], [[medieval misogny]]'' | ||
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| {{Template}} | {{Template}} | ||
| - | :''[[Satire VI]], [[medieval misogny]]'' | ||
| '''Misogyny''' is [[hatred]] or strong [[prejudice]] against [[woman|women]]. The word comes from the [[Greek language|Greek]] words μίσος (misos, "hatred") + γυνη (gunê, "woman"). Compared with anti-woman [[sexism]] or [[misandry]] (hatred, strong prejudice against men), misogyny is termed by most [[feminist]] theories as a political ideology like [[racism]] and [[antisemitism]] that justifies and maintains the subordination of women to men. | '''Misogyny''' is [[hatred]] or strong [[prejudice]] against [[woman|women]]. The word comes from the [[Greek language|Greek]] words μίσος (misos, "hatred") + γυνη (gunê, "woman"). Compared with anti-woman [[sexism]] or [[misandry]] (hatred, strong prejudice against men), misogyny is termed by most [[feminist]] theories as a political ideology like [[racism]] and [[antisemitism]] that justifies and maintains the subordination of women to men. | ||
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| *Any doubt he may have ever cherished in his ''misogamic'' breast concerning a woman's creative capacity. — ''[[Pall Mall Gazette]]'', [[7 January]] [[1889]] | *Any doubt he may have ever cherished in his ''misogamic'' breast concerning a woman's creative capacity. — ''[[Pall Mall Gazette]]'', [[7 January]] [[1889]] | ||
| An example of correct use, from the same period is: | An example of correct use, from the same period is: | ||
| - | *He ... walked the banks apart, a thing of ''misogyny'', in a suit of flannel. — [[Herman Charles Merivale]], ''Faucit of Balliol'', 1882 | + | *He ... walked the banks apart, a thing of ''misogyny'', in a suit of [[flannel]]. — [[Herman Charles Merivale]], ''Faucit of Balliol'', 1882 |
| A clearer example of the sense, also from the same era but using the related word '''misogynist''', is provided by Thackeray. | A clearer example of the sense, also from the same era but using the related word '''misogynist''', is provided by Thackeray. | ||
| *Confound all women, I say, muttered the young ''misogynist''. — [[William Makepeace Thackeray]], ''The Virginians'', 1878 | *Confound all women, I say, muttered the young ''misogynist''. — [[William Makepeace Thackeray]], ''The Virginians'', 1878 | ||
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| *You should get married. A misanthrope I can understand - a womanthrope, never! (Act 2) | *You should get married. A misanthrope I can understand - a womanthrope, never! (Act 2) | ||
| - | == Misogyny in Greek literature == | + | == History of misogyny == |
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| + | === Misogyny in Greek literature === | ||
| :''[[Misogyny in Greek literature]]'' | :''[[Misogyny in Greek literature]]'' | ||
| ''Misogyny'' comes into English from the ancient Greek word, ''misogunia'', which survives in two passages. The earlier, longer and more complete passage comes from a [[stoic]] philosopher called [[Antipater of Tarsus]] in a moral tract known as ''[[On Marriage]]'' (c. 150 BC). | ''Misogyny'' comes into English from the ancient Greek word, ''misogunia'', which survives in two passages. The earlier, longer and more complete passage comes from a [[stoic]] philosopher called [[Antipater of Tarsus]] in a moral tract known as ''[[On Marriage]]'' (c. 150 BC). | ||
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| - | == Misogyny in feminist theory == | ||
| - | :''[[misogyny in feminist theory]]'' | ||
| - | Traditional feminist theorists propose many different forms of misogyny. In its most overt expression, a misogynist will openly hate all women simply because they are female. | ||
| - | Other forms of misogyny may be less overt. Some misogynists may simply be prejudiced against all women, or may hate women who do not fall into one or more acceptable categories. Entire cultures may be said to be misogynist if they treat women in ways that can be seen as harmful. Examples include forcing women to tend to all domestic responsibilities, not giving pregnant women jobs, or beating a woman. Subscribers to one model, the [[Madonna-whore complex|mother/whore dichotomy]], hold that women can only be "mothers" or "whores." Another variant is the [[virgin]]/whore dichotomy, in which women who do not adhere to a saintly standard of moral purity(Abrahamic) are considered "whores". | ||
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| - | Frequently, the term ''misogynist'' is used in a looser sense as a term of derision to describe anyone who holds an unpopular or distasteful view about women as a group. A man who considers himself "a great lover of women," therefore, might somewhat paradoxically be termed a misogynist by those who consider his treatment of women sexist. Archetypes of this type of man might be [[Giacomo Casanova]] and [[Don Juan]], who were both reputed for their many libertine affairs with women. | ||
| - | Misogyny is a negative attitude towards women as a group, and so need not fully determine a misogynist's attitude towards each individual woman. The fact that someone holds misogynist views may not prevent them from having positive relationships with some women. Conversely, simply having negative relationships with some women does not necessarily mean someone holds misogynistic views. The term, like most negative descriptions of attitudes, is used as an epithet and applied to a wide variety of behaviors and attitudes. As with other terms, the more antipathetic one's position is in regards to misogyny, the larger the number of misogynists and the greater variety of attitudes and behaviors who fall into one's perception of "misogynist". This is, of course, the subject of much controversy and debate with opinions ranging widely as to the extent and breadth of misogyny in society. | ||
| === Mythology === | === Mythology === | ||
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| [[Nietzsche]] is known for arguing that every higher form of civilization implied stricter controls on women (''[[Beyond Good and Evil (book)|Beyond Good and Evil]]'', 7:238); he frequently insulted women, but is best known for phrases such as "Women are less than shallow," and "[[Are you going to women? Do not forget the whip!]]" Nietzsche's reputation as a misogynist is disputed by some, pointing out that he also made unflattering statements about men. Nietzsche can easily be interpreted as [[anti-feminist]], believing that women were primarily mothers and opposing the modern notion of [[women's liberation]] on the grounds that he considered it a form of [[slave morality]]. Whether or not this amounts to misogyny, whether his polemic statements against women are meant to be taken literally, and the exact nature of his opinions of women, are more controversial. | [[Nietzsche]] is known for arguing that every higher form of civilization implied stricter controls on women (''[[Beyond Good and Evil (book)|Beyond Good and Evil]]'', 7:238); he frequently insulted women, but is best known for phrases such as "Women are less than shallow," and "[[Are you going to women? Do not forget the whip!]]" Nietzsche's reputation as a misogynist is disputed by some, pointing out that he also made unflattering statements about men. Nietzsche can easily be interpreted as [[anti-feminist]], believing that women were primarily mothers and opposing the modern notion of [[women's liberation]] on the grounds that he considered it a form of [[slave morality]]. Whether or not this amounts to misogyny, whether his polemic statements against women are meant to be taken literally, and the exact nature of his opinions of women, are more controversial. | ||
| - | The philosopher [[Otto Weininger]], in his 1903 book ''[[Sex and Character]]'', characterized the "woman" part of each individual as being essentially "nothing," and having no real existence, having no effective consciousness or rationality. Weininger says, "No men who really think deeply about women retain a high opinion of them; men either despise women or they have never thought seriously about them." The author [[August Strindberg]] praised Weininger for probably having solved the hardest of all problems, the "woman problem." | + | The philosopher [[Otto Weininger]], in his 1903 book ''[[Sex and Character]]'', characterized the "woman" part of each individual as being essentially "nothing," and having no real existence, having no effective consciousness or rationality. Weininger says, "No men who really think deeply about women retain a high opinion of them; men either despise women or they have never thought seriously about them." The author [[August Strindberg]] praised Weininger for probably having solved the hardest of all problems, the "[[woman problem]]." |
| == See also == | == See also == | ||
| * [[Antifeminism]] | * [[Antifeminism]] | ||
| + | *''[[Cette mâle assurance]]'' | ||
| * [[Chauvinism]] | * [[Chauvinism]] | ||
| * [[Misandry]] - male counterpart | * [[Misandry]] - male counterpart | ||
| * [[Honor killing]] | * [[Honor killing]] | ||
| * [[Marriage strike]] | * [[Marriage strike]] | ||
| + | *[[Misogyny in feminist theory]] | ||
| * [[Object relations theory]] | * [[Object relations theory]] | ||
| * [[Violence against women]] | * [[Violence against women]] | ||
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| - | == See also == | ||
| - | *''[[Cette mâle assurance]]'' | ||
| {{GFDL}} | {{GFDL}} | ||
Current revision
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"When I say woman, I mean a sex so fragile, so variable, so changeable, so inconstant and imperfect, that Nature, when she made woman, seems to me, speaking in all honour and reverence, to have strayed from that good sense with which she created all things." and from a different translation: "When I speak of women," said the doctor, “I speak of a sex so fragile, so variable, so changeable, so inconstant, and so imperfect . . . that Plato, you will recall, was at a loss where to class them . . . . For nature has placed in their bodies . . . certain humors, brackish, nitrous, boracious, acrid, mordant, shooting, and bitterly tickling . . . by which the entire feminine body is shaken . . . all senses ravished . . . all thought thrown into confusion . . . sometimes so violent that the woman is thereby deprived of all other senses and powers of motion as if she had suffered from heart failure, syncope, epilepsy, apoplexy, something like death." |
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Misogyny is hatred or strong prejudice against women. The word comes from the Greek words μίσος (misos, "hatred") + γυνη (gunê, "woman"). Compared with anti-woman sexism or misandry (hatred, strong prejudice against men), misogyny is termed by most feminist theories as a political ideology like racism and antisemitism that justifies and maintains the subordination of women to men.
Contents |
Usage
Misogyny is sometimes confused with the similar looking word — misogamy — which means a hatred of marriage, hence the following error.
- Any doubt he may have ever cherished in his misogamic breast concerning a woman's creative capacity. — Pall Mall Gazette, 7 January 1889
An example of correct use, from the same period is:
- He ... walked the banks apart, a thing of misogyny, in a suit of flannel. — Herman Charles Merivale, Faucit of Balliol, 1882
A clearer example of the sense, also from the same era but using the related word misogynist, is provided by Thackeray.
- Confound all women, I say, muttered the young misogynist. — William Makepeace Thackeray, The Virginians, 1878
Occasionally writers play on the similarity of sound between misogyny and miscegeny (mixed-race marriage).
- This psychosocial analysis of the murder of a white civil rights activist by her mulatto lover (Joe Christmas) is replete with themes of fate, free will, sociopathy, family violence, misogyny, miscegeny, and isolation versus community.
An example used in current context is:
- Among the concerns some of Hillary Clinton female backers have with Barack Obama is the perception that he can slide into misogynist comments at the blink of an eye.
In the play The Importance of Being Earnest, Oscar Wilde humorously has Miss Prism referring to Dr Chasuble as a womanthrope, but intending misogynist or misogamist:
- You should get married. A misanthrope I can understand - a womanthrope, never! (Act 2)
History of misogyny
Misogyny in Greek literature
Misogyny comes into English from the ancient Greek word, misogunia, which survives in two passages. The earlier, longer and more complete passage comes from a stoic philosopher called Antipater of Tarsus in a moral tract known as On Marriage (c. 150 BC).
Mythology
J Holland sees evidence of misogyny in the mythology of the ancient world. In Greek mythology, the human race had already existed before the creation of women — a peaceful, autonomous existence as a companion to the gods. When Prometheus decides to steal the secret of fire from the gods, Zeus becomes infuriated and decides to punish humankind with an "evil thing for their delight" — Pandora, the first woman, who carried a jar (usually described — incorrectly — as a box) she was told to never open. Epimetheus (the brother of Prometheus) is overwhelmed by her beauty, disregards Prometheus' warnings about her, and marries her. Pandora cannot resist peeking into the jar, and by opening it unveils all evil into the world — labour, sickness, old age, and death.
J Holland also sees evidence of misogyny in the Christian view on the Fall of Man based on the Book Genesis, which according to Christian interpretation brought tragedy and death into the world by a woman. (See also Original Sin.)
Religion
The religion of islam is in itself mysogynistic. The Quran specifies both that "women are inferior to men" and that any women who are found to disagree with this should be beaten (Qur'an 4:34). In the book "Women and the Glorious Qur'an: An Analytical Study of Women-related Verses" the author claims that the relation between men and women specified in the "men are the guardians of women" verse, does not simply apply within a family, or within marriage. The book specifies that men are superior to all women, both in general and in specific cases, not just their wives or daughters. The book mentions that this is a "progressive" opinion within islam, and that there are many islamic scholars with much worse opinions on women, such as the very authoritative at-Tabari, who claims that men are superior to women, not just in the case of a woman being financially dependent on a man, but always, and due to Allah's statement on the physical and intellectual superiority of men above women.
Philosophy
Arthur Schopenhauer is famous for his essay "On Women" (Über die Weiber), in which he expressed his opposition to what he called "Teutonico-Christian stupidity" on female affairs. He claimed that "woman is by nature meant to obey." The essay does give two compliments however: that "women are decidedly more sober in their judgment than men are" and are more sympathetic to the suffering of others. However, the latter was discounted as weakness rather than humanitarian virtue.
Nietzsche is known for arguing that every higher form of civilization implied stricter controls on women (Beyond Good and Evil, 7:238); he frequently insulted women, but is best known for phrases such as "Women are less than shallow," and "Are you going to women? Do not forget the whip!" Nietzsche's reputation as a misogynist is disputed by some, pointing out that he also made unflattering statements about men. Nietzsche can easily be interpreted as anti-feminist, believing that women were primarily mothers and opposing the modern notion of women's liberation on the grounds that he considered it a form of slave morality. Whether or not this amounts to misogyny, whether his polemic statements against women are meant to be taken literally, and the exact nature of his opinions of women, are more controversial.
The philosopher Otto Weininger, in his 1903 book Sex and Character, characterized the "woman" part of each individual as being essentially "nothing," and having no real existence, having no effective consciousness or rationality. Weininger says, "No men who really think deeply about women retain a high opinion of them; men either despise women or they have never thought seriously about them." The author August Strindberg praised Weininger for probably having solved the hardest of all problems, the "woman problem."
See also
- Antifeminism
- Cette mâle assurance
- Chauvinism
- Misandry - male counterpart
- Honor killing
- Marriage strike
- Misogyny in feminist theory
- Object relations theory
- Violence against women
