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Feminists Critique On Aristotle Gender Perspective
CHAPTER ONE -- [Total Page(s) 3]
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CHAPTER ONE
1.0 GENERAL INTRODUCTION
Since time immemorial, people have held the view that men are superior to women. This vision of male supremacy is clearly reflected in all traditional families and societies to an extent that even women were made to accept that they are inferior nature.
Over centuries, men and women have so internalized this culture of male supremacy, that even when a woman is known to be in possession of the actual power, especially in a family where the woman has the economic power the man would still be expected to assert his authority proudly as the captain of the family ship and the Lord of the society. From the above background men by nature cling to authority and learn to lord it over women.
Meanwhile, the awareness of certain biological advantages like physical force convinces men that they are endowed with supremacy nature and the right to control women to their own advantage.
In early time, men used because of their intellectual capabilities to justify their supremacy. One of the most influential defence of men is to be found in Aristotle’s writings, where he argues for the justifiability of slavery and the domination of women. Using the analogy of the soul and body, Aristotle argued that men are born to rule women, just as the soul which is superior rules the body and reason rules passion, men should rule woman. For Aristotle, “the male is by nature superior; and the female inferior ; and the one rules and the other is ruledâ€
Aristotle was making his argument from the point of ancient biology, he felt free to universalize the inferiority of women. In another instance he went further saying that women represent a defaced human nature. The female he argued is “a mutilated maleâ€
The topic “feminists critique on Aristotle’s gender perspective†is really apt within the global crusade for women liberation and empowerment. This crusade can be seen both in the civil societies and among individuals. The core question is should women be treated as persons with right, dignity and voice within the community? They should be acknowledged as citizens members of the civil society. In recent times, there has been an incessant cry on the plight of women in the society, due to this cry that some feminists took as a duty to fight for the unhealthy treatment of women which was traced right from Aristotle’s writings.
CHAPTER ONE -- [Total Page(s) 3]
Page 1 of 3
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