Misogyny and Gender Inequality

Sunday, March 14, 2021
First Aired:
Sunday, February 25, 2018

What Is It

With the recent #MeToo viral campaign, along with the wave of prominent male figures toppled for being serial sexual harassers or worse, the topic of misogyny has come into sharp focus. But what exactly is misogyny? And how does it differ from sexism? What set of beliefs or attitudes makes someone a misogynist? And why does misogyny persist despite the fact that traditional gender roles are being abandoned more and more? Ken and Debra explore the trials of the second sex with Kate Manne from Cornell University, author of《女孩:厌女症的逻辑》。

Listening Notes

With the continuation of the #MeToo movement, many question what the natures of misogyny and sexism are. Is misogyny simply hatred of all women? Ken and Debra explore this issue and discuss the effects of the patriarchy on men and women alike. Ken points out that men, as the oppressors in patriarchy, are its agents and winners, while Debra argues that this view overestimates the individual agency that men have.

The hosts welcome Kate Manne, professor of philosophy at Cornell University and author of Down Girl: The Logic of Misogyny, to the show. Kate explains the difference between misogyny and sexism: sexism is the ideology that women are naturally inferior to men, whereas misogyny is the enforcement of this ideology. She explains that someone can be a misogynist, yet not believe in sexism, if he or she desires for women to be inferior and to “stay in their place.” Ken wonders if Kate isn’t simply putting a negative spin on feminine virtues; after all, women are still placed on pedestals even if these pedestals differ from those that men are placed on. Kate responds by elaborating on misogyny, which tends to put “good” women on pedestals for conforming to sexist norms as a way to separate them from “bad” women who deviate from these norms.

In the final segment, a listener asks Kate about how focusing on the struggles of racism can overlook the sometimes more appalling conditions of women of the world. Kate is cautious about drawing a parallel between gender and race because they intersect: being a black woman is a distinctive experience from being a white woman or a black man. The hosts and Kate then discuss the election, in which Clinton did beat two men in the primary, but ultimately lost to Trump. Debra contends that while misogyny was part of the election, many people voted out of anger of being left out. Yet Kate isn’t so sure that voters were actually left out -- she suspects that there was a lot of “himpathy” among and for men who no longer felt like the moral center of attention.

  • Roving Philosophical Report (Seek to 6:46):Holly McDede chats with literary historian Stephen Greenblatt about misogyny in the story of Adam and Eve, and how that misogyny has persisted today in Super Bowl halftime shows and presidential elections.
  • 60-Second Philosopher (Seek to 46:53):Ian Shoales discusses how misogyny relates to various insults derived from the word “cuck.”

Transcript

Comments(14)


Harold G. Neuman's picture

Harold G. Neuman

Friday, February 16, 2018 -- 12:56 PM

'Me-tooed out': An unpopular, though honest assessment...

I mean no chauvinist disrespect for the women who are coming forward, sometimes years after it could make any personal difference to them. The entire power play of sexual harassment is an ugly example of insult and subjugation. When I was still in the workplace, part of my responsibility had to do with exposing the illness and trying to convince snickering male audiences as to the egregiousness of the entire notion of male dominance. They could have gotten the message, but quite obviously did not choose to do so. The thing about all of this me-too-ness is the increasing alienation it fosters and, the notion that there is no statute of limitations pertinent to past indiscretions. If I say this madness is disruptive, I'm called insensitive or worse. If I point out the futility of it, I'm called a pessimist (or worse). No, the battle is enjoined and the warriors thirst for blood---probably mine, as well. I am sorry that my efforts from the late 1970s through the 1990s and beyond came to no measurable fruition. But, sorry folks: I'm just me-tooed out. And I cannot see where all of it will lead to a better world. If I could, I'd happily look forward to that. Good luck to the me-toos. They will need it.

Sassie_Quatch's picture

Sassie_Quatch

Friday, March 16, 2018 -- 10:21 AM

Me Too

“我也是”运动的目的是唤起人们对性骚扰和性侵犯的认识。通过建立意识,希望这种骚扰将会结束。说:“但是,对不起各位:我只是太累了。我不知道这一切会把世界引向何方。如果可以的话,我很期待。祝我也好运。对于那些声称有工作可以帮助他们的人来说,这是不理智的。

Tim Smith's picture

Tim Smith

Wednesday, March 10, 2021 -- 4:24 AM

Sassie,

Sassie,

如果你长时间阅读这个网站,你会发现它最大的好处之一就是在思想和时间上体验哲学视角。你写这封信已经三年了。我想知道你现在是怎么想的。

Harold was being irrational and still is as far as I can tell. Are you? I hope so.

This last year I witnessed a "protest" where my neighbors tore down a statue of George Washington very near my house. I find Washington to be an inspirational figure much like Cincinnatus. One of the rioters as I am more prone to call them now said Washington had it coming because he had slave teeth in his mouth. This coming from a young person wearing clothes made in sweat shops.

I take your point and it looks like Harold hasn't yet. He will I hope. It was a good one and still is.

NUNYOBIZ's picture

NUNYOBIZ

Thursday, August 20, 2020 -- 10:52 PM

when i was young i fancied a

我年轻时喜欢一个女孩。我很幸运,在一次车祸中瘫痪了。我还没离开重症监护室她就走了。她嫁得好,离婚了,得到了他一半的财产,给他留下了一个残缺的人性。她把这个策略重复了五六次,最后一次是一个有头衔的英国人。她现在60多岁了,没有孩子,孑然一身。悲伤?也许。我觉得很有趣。我是一个厌恶女性的人吗? perhaps. do i care? not in the least. karma has it's way. halaluja!>

Harold G. Neuman's picture

Harold G. Neuman

Friday, February 26, 2021 -- 12:52 PM

Had tried to say something

Had tried to say something more here. Will try again later...maybe.

Harold G. Neuman's picture

Harold G. Neuman

Saturday, February 27, 2021 -- 2:42 PM

Here is what I wanted to say

以下是我在21年2月26日想说的话。厌恶女性和性别不平等是现状。几个世纪。智人很晚才认识到女性不仅仅是生殖器官。
变化是不可阻挡的缓慢。几乎和进化本身一样慢....即。,相当慢。朱利安·杰恩斯的两院制思维的概念并不是那么牵强,如果我们考虑原始思维的约束....以后……

Harold G. Neuman's picture

Harold G. Neuman

Saturday, February 27, 2021 -- 3:34 PM

And so, with Jaynes' insights

And so, with Jaynes' insights on the bicameral mind--- which he claims (ed) broke down--- we may see some pattern. There is an old saw, i have always been intrigued with: if you always do what you've always done, you'll always get what you've always got. Primitive humans could not decide what to do.
They consulted oracles and other delphic entities,as to correct courses of action.

I think Jaynes was partially right in his assessment. History appears to bear out the indecision he noted. Where I believe he went wrong was in concluding bicameral mind' broke down. There are too many indications, contrariwise. We still cannot make up our minds on important issues...still do not see the intrinsic value of women.. beyond bare-foot and pregnant. Of course, it is more complicated than this. It depends upon what I have called a totality of circumstances....abstraction vs reality and so on.

Bicameral mind is very much with us. But so are belief, opinion and, perhaps worst of all, suprstition are as well: things Davidson called propositional attitudes. This is hard work. I'll keep you posted.

Tim Smith's picture

Tim Smith

Wednesday, March 10, 2021 -- 6:21 AM

'Himpathy' is a good term

'Himpathy' is a good term and hopefully lives on. Ken immediately went there in the himpathic sense when Kate grounded the discussion of ownership of female bodies to the astroturfing of Catholic doctrine to get Nixon elected. I felt like that was a distraction that bled onto race which was another distraction from Sexism and Mysogyny.

I think mysogyny is as it does is a great fundamental statement. Sexism is more complicated. This show could definitely be re-visited. The pandemic has changed the context dramatically.

Harold G. Neuman's picture

Harold G. Neuman

Friday, March 19, 2021 -- 1:15 PM

There are some disturbing

There are some disturbing parallels among the issues of misogyny; inequality; me-too-ness and other twenty-first century turbulence. (I put the twentieth century behind us, because we blew it, and knew it.) There is a lot of interconnectedness among all these issues.(see my remarks on the Black Lives Matter post,dated March, 2021. Those attempt to show some of the folly of me-roo-ness.) There is an over-abundance of pride and prejudice right now, seems to me. More than enough to go round.
People, professionals in psychology and social sciences, must be tearing their hair out---if they still have any. Some, including my brother ( a poet) place some blame on narcissism, which leads back to the previous US president. I agree this is part of the problem. I also group with that fear, belief, ideology and superstition among other human failings. PTs post on hatred further casts doubt on the humanity of humanity. Herein, I have more-than-once avowed my hope that I am wrong about my intuitions concerning such matters. Flat wrong. So, far, in the last fifty+ years, I have been disappointed Those who have said Donald Trump ruined America miss the mark. He was but a symptom. Not the cause. Finger-pointing doesn't get it. We have to all own up. Seems to me. There are more than seven deadly sins, now. There always were.

Harold G. Neuman's picture

Harold G. Neuman

Sunday, March 21, 2021 -- 3:18 PM

There are numerous notions,

现在有许多观点在流传,其中许多我不同意。例如,性和性别是不同的东西。是谁得出这个结论的?对我来说,这种说法是无稽之谈。某种或另一种语言转向的使用Sex is a term that does at least double
责任:这个名词表示一个物种的男性和女性;动词指的是一种行为,由个体执行,导致或不导致生育结果。性别,最初是指一个人是男性还是女性,由男性/女性排序定义的相同的二元性。
现在,性别指的是一个人的想法——他/她认为他/她是谁,而不是他们的生理特征。“女孩会变成男孩,男孩会变成女孩,这是一个混乱、混乱、动荡的世界……”我们不想冒犯或贬低不同的情感,所以,我们重新定义、修改或重新确定术语,以适应新的总体情况。或者,也许是出于尊重,我们允许科学越界,几十年前我们可能会避开它。(本博客在另一篇文章中检视了这种越权行为。我对这一切也有复杂的感觉……)

We are so concerned, busy with being politically, no, SOCIALLY, correct, we lose track of what might be designated the realism of facts. I have also criticized the phenomenon known as 'uptalk'. Does anyone know where that may have come from or why? Have you ever been to Jamaica, mon?

There are all sorts of reasonings behind things we say and do---all sorts of 'alternate facts' which lead us into popular/mass culture. Much of this is subtle. More of it---insideous.

Harold G. Neuman's picture

Harold G. Neuman

Saturday, May 1, 2021 -- 2:27 PM

So now there are me too folks

So now there are me too folks. Along with all the others. Now, we are acquiring numerous varieties of us toos. It is way beyond any sort of reason now. Everyone expects and demands entitlement be met. Or exceeded. People, white, black or other think they ought to allowed to think and act as they please. Everyone does it. It is a free country; free speech, freedom of association;; i can have and carry a gun if I want to. Conceal it if I have a permit. I can stand my ground and , if necessary, kill ah attacker. If you don't get where this is going, where have you been the last forty years? When is too much too much? If, as has been said, we can't have it both ways, how can we have it a dozen or more? The great democracy deteriorates. Why? Because we are adamant about being all things to all people. At some time, that was all that was needed. This is not that time. Too many changes and contingencies. Too many ironies. Too little solidarity. Rorty, the pragmatist, saw this coming. Tried to warn us. Failed....look up his collection. It is not hard to find. He did not publish a lot.

Harold G. Neuman's picture

Harold G. Neuman

Saturday, June 19, 2021 -- 4:43 AM

Closing note: there are more

Closing note: there are more sorts of me too, all the time...

Harold G. Neuman's picture

Harold G. Neuman

Friday, June 25, 2021 -- 3:24 PM

There are things now, that

现在有些事情令人担忧。可能是棘手的。跨性别者参与体育运动。那么,为什么要有例外的人想要改变他们的性别,然后希望与谁竞争? ?所以,让我们来推测一下。我们认可跨性别者参与男性活动。而且跨性别者比他们的同龄人表现得更差。这些结果表明了什么?反向的场景。无论结果如何,都没有任何证据表明公平,或者缺乏公平。 Something about microagression re-emerges. But, it had no place here, in the first place. We cannot, IMHO, change the laws, of biology. Or do so at our peril.. Just saying.

Harold G. Neuman's picture

Harold G. Neuman

Saturday, July 17, 2021 -- 8:00 AM

现在有太多的我了。It

现在有太多的我了。这真的很荒谬。种族、性别、肤色、国籍等等都受到法律的保护。有几分。问题是,法律并不能保护所有人。即使是那些受保护的身份在“书中”的人也不行。有人说我们不能为道德立法。事实上,我们也不能对态度或行为进行立法。我们只能惩罚做错事的人。就正义问题而言,这只是一种哲学。 We cannot ban symbols. Or attitudes. Or behaviors. We can only punish crime. And that is why we have the notion of justice in the first place... Yea, John Rawls!