Misogyny Essay ⋆ Political Science Essay Examples ⋆ EssayEmpire

Translated from its Greek roots, misogyny literally means the hatred of women. More broadly, misogyny refers to cultural beliefs that men are better, stronger, more rational, more capable, and more authoritative than women, especially in the public sphere. These beliefs contribute to the dislike or mistrust of women and the idea that gender hierarchy is natural or functional for society.

According to some arguments, the idea that women belong exclusively in homemaking and parenting roles is caused by, or is an example of, misogyny. The belief that women are naturally more nurturing than men can be used to justify barring women from seeking employment or participating in other aspects of public life. Some also argue that efforts to glorify women’s domestic roles, or attempts to protect women from perceived danger, can actually be disguised as misogyny. According to this line of thought, when men venerate or shelter women, men might think they are helping or revering women. Holding a door open, paying for a date, escorting a woman to her car at night, or guarding a woman’s sexual virtue is often motivated by good intent. However, these acts may be perceived as infantilizing or condescending, because they minimize women’s agency and full range of capabilities.

For these reasons, well-intentioned kindness by men can result in confusion and misunderstanding.

Misogyny In Political Thought

Although not all cultures are misogynistic, misogyny is found in most patriarchal societies and throughout the canon of political thought. Major figures in political philosophy have described women as lacking the ability to reason, conflated women with nature, or defined women through their biological capacity to reproduce. Because these same theories also generally claim that rationality is required for political participation, and that the natural world must be conquered or suppressed, feminist philosophers critique these theories on the basis of their misogynistic presuppositions.

Confucius (551–479 BCE), for example, believed in a hierarchical family structure and the idea that women’s status was naturally inferior to that of men. Although Confucius did not express explicit hatred toward women, he wrote that ignorance was a woman’s virtue. Some argue that Confucius’s ideas, like those of his counterparts, provided a cultural foundation for devaluing women and girls.

Aristotle (384–322 BCE) claimed that women’s ability to reason was unformed and lacked authority. This provided a rationale for excluding women from political participation and for Aristotle’s proposition that men naturally rule over women. Arthur Schopenhauer (1788–1860) wrote that women lack a sense of justice and the ability to reason: Women are not meant for great mental accomplishment but, instead, are intended to obey men. According to Schopenhauer, women thus remain large children for their entire lives. Jean-Jacques Rousseau (1712–1778) argued that women are naturally dependent on men and are sexual objects that men control. According to G. W. F. Hegel (1770–1831), while men are like animals, women are like plants; that is to say, women lack independence or distinct interests of their own. In Beyond Good and Evil, Friedrich Nietzsche (1844–1900) frequently insulted women and controversially argued that higher forms of civilization involve stricter control over women.

Contemporary Misogyny

In contemporary culture, misogyny is expressed and reinforced through personal beliefs that women are naturally inferior, biased representations of women in popular culture, gender discrimination in the workplace, sexual harassment, sexual assault, or even femicide (the murder of women). Derogatory terms for women and women’s genitalia are examples of misogyny, as are practices like female genital cutting or mutilation, “honor killings,” or invasive cosmetic surgeries, including so-called vaginal rejuvenation. Music lyrics describing rape or sexual assault are considered misogynistic, as is advertising that hyper sexualizes or objectifies women.

When popular media such as music videos, movies, or television shows depict women in submissive or subjugated roles, this creates a cultural climate that encourages men to think of women as inferior, and that enables the abuse and degradation of women. Patriarchal religion has also been a powerful vehicle for perpetuating misogynistic beliefs about women.

Theories Addressing Misogyny

Addressing the sources of and solutions to misogyny is the primary focus of feminist theory. These theories address four general aspects of misogyny: First, feminist theory describes how misogyny justifies and maintains women’s subjugation or domination by men. Second, feminism explains the ways in which misogyny, sexism, heterosexism, and racism are interrelated and reflect the dominant values in society. Third, feminist theorists argue that women who believe they are inferior, or who think they deserve to be objectified or abused, have internalized the cultural messages of misogyny. Finally, feminist theory explores how shifting misogynistic beliefs requires a willingness to challenge the social blueprint of cultures that encourage sexism and violence toward women.

Feminist thinkers claim that misogyny produces a diminished, one-dimensional image of women. According to some theories, contemporary pornography, for example, reflects this disregard by portraying women as existing only to satisfy men’s sexual desire. As a result, misogynistic hatred is directed toward women for failing to uphold a culturally manufactured expectation that women are easy to control and naturally inferior to men.

Bibliography:

Coole, Diana. Women in Political Theory: From Ancient Misogyny to Contemporary Feminism. Boulder Colo.: Lynne Rienner, 1988.
Dworkin, Andrea. Letters From a War Zone. New York: E. P. Dutton, 1988.
hooks, bell. Killing Rage: Ending Racism. New York: Owl Books, 1995.
Jensen, Robert. Getting Off: Pornography and the End of Masculinity. Cambridge, Mass.: South End Press, 2007.
Morgan, Robin. Sisterhood Is Powerful: An Anthology of Writings from the Women’s Liberation Movement. New York: Random House, 1970.
Okin, Susan Moller. Women in Western Political Thought. Princeton, N.J.: Princeton University Press, 1979.
Powell, Kevin. “Confessions of a Recovering Misogynist.” In Men’s Lives. Edited by Michael S. Kimmel and Michael A. Messner. San Francisco: Pearson, 2007.

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