搜索
SimonedeBeauvoir:IntroductiontotheSecondSexMarch22,2006S.deBeauvoirandJ.P.SartreTheSecondSex•Womanasthesecondsex•Thesecondsexderivedfromthefirstsex•Womeninthepositionofthe“other”•Whatdoesitmeantobean“other”?•Iandtheother•WeandtheotherTheSecondSex(1949)•Beginningofsecondwaveoffeminism•Mainideaofthebook•Womenasthesecondsex•Thesecondsexasderivedfromthefirstsex•WomenhavebeendefinedassecondarytomenwhohavebeenseenastheprimarysexDualityofthesexes•Dualityofsexesinthehistoryofideas•Themaleandthefemaleacc.totraditionalunderstandingthatgoesbacktoancientphilosophy•Themaleistherationalbeing,thefemaledeviatesfromthemale•ThomasAquinas:“Thefemaleisanimperfectmale”Traditionalunderstandingofdualityofthesexes•Male•Rationality•Culture•Mind,soul•Theroleofmenistobepaterfamiliasandgovernsociety•Female•Body•Nature•Emotions•TheroleofwomenistobearandrearchildrenWomenaccordingtotraditionaldualityofthesexes•Womenare“dangerous”inthepublicspherebecausetheyare“unprdictable”astheyaredeterminedbytheiremotions(Hegel)•Womenshouldnottobeallowedtotakepartinpolitics•Womenshouldkeepsilentinthechurch(ApostlePaul)TraditionaldualityofthesexesandEssentialism•Accordingtotraditionaldualisitictheoriesaboutsexualdifference:•Sexualdifferenceisunderstoodtobebasedondifferentanatomyofthesexes•Theanatomyofwomenpredestinesthemtofulfillcertainroles•Womenarethus“essentially”differentfrommen•Oldbelievethatthereisawomen’snatureoressence•ThisbeliefisthebasisoftraditionalideasaboutthedivisionofsexualrolesinsocietyEssentialismaboutsexualdifference•Women´sessence=womenhavecertainattributes,allwomenandeverywhereandatalltimes•Thisisbiologicalessentialism•Accordingtoitwomenhavebiologicalbasisthatmakesthemcognitivelyandmorallydifferentfrommen(lessrationalandlessmorallyaccountable)Essentialism•Essentialismaboutsexualdifferenceisthereforeaverymuchcriticizeddoctrine•Impossibledoctrine:Essencemeansthatallwomenhavetobeinacertainway•Ifthereisoneexceptiontothisitisimpossibletotalkaboutessenceofallwomen•Isitneverthelesspossbletotalkaboutsexualdifference?Sexualdifference•Menandwomenaredifferent,biologically•Aretheydifferentpsychologically,cognitively?•Perhapsnotmuchmorethanmenaredifferentfromoneanother,justaswomenaredifferentfromoneanother•Butarethere“tendencies”or“styles”thatarecommontowomenandcommontomenthatcouldallowustodefinesexualdifference?•PerhapsEssentialism•Hastherebeenanessentialismaboutmen?•AccordingtoBeauvoirnottothesamedegreeasaboutwomen•Menhavebeenassociatedwithbeing“human”.Thehumanisman.Womanhasthusbeenconsideredlessthanhumaninthehistoryofourculture•Menhavebeenthemeasureaccordingtowhichwomenhavebeendefined.•Thewomanisdefinedaccordingtowhichshelacksbeingaman(Aristotle)Beauvoir•Aretherereallywomen?asksBeauvoir•Shemeans,isthereawoman’sessence?•Shedeniesthat•Womenandmenarehoweverdifferent•Theirdifferencesaredeterminedbyhistorical,socialcircumstances,andalsodifferentbodies•ThatdoesnothavetoleadtobiologicalessentialismSexandgender•Toavoidessentialismaboutsexualdifferenceanglo-americanfeministsmakethedistinctionbetween•SexandGender•Sexisbiologicalsex•Genderhastodowiththesocial,historicaldeterminatesofthedifferenceofmenandwomenSexandGender•Thisdistinctionisbasedontheideaofsocialconstructionofthedifferencesbetweenmenandwomen•Beauvoir:“Oneisnotbornawoman,butbecomesawoman”Sexualdifference•Sexualidentityisneverthelessnotonly•cultural(determinedbyculture)•social(producedbysociety)•discursive(producedbydiscourses)•or•volitional(freechoice)•italsohasabasisinthebody•BeauvoirsthesisisthusthatbeingamanorawomandeterminesthelifeofusallTheSecondsex•Itmattersofwhatsexoneisborn•Menhavebetterchances,haveabetterpositionofpower•Womenhavelesspowerinpolitics,insociety•Womenarepoorer(stillwomenonlyoneca3%-5%ofthewealthoftheworld)•Womenarenotasfreeasmen,acc.toBeauvoir•Itisbecausewomenhavebeendefinedasbeing“other”,asbeingdifferentWhyabookaboutthesecondsex?•Womenhavetodefinetheirsituation•Tobeawomanisbeinginacertainposition•MenhavenothadtodefinetheirpositioninthesamemanneraccordingtoBeauvoir•Amaleis“man”•Womaniswhatdeviatesfrombeing“man”•ThereforewomenhavetodefinetheirpositionanewFirstandsecondsex•Beingthesecondseximpliesthatwomanisseenas“thesex”•Thereforeemphasisonwomen’sbody,sexuality•Themaleisseenastheone,as“man”andrelatedtohiscognitivecapaties•Thefemaleistheother,thelesser•Allthatisdifferenct,negativeTheother•Whydidwomenbecomethesecondsexandlandinthepositionoftheother?•Beauvoir’sexplanation•Thedivisionofconsciousnessin“self”and“other”•Selfdefinesitselfbydemarcatingitselfagainstanother•Selfhasmorepowerandcan“other”theotherone,puthim/herinthepositionoftheother•Individualsandsocietydothis(Iandother,Weandothers)Iandother•Hegeliandilaecticofmasterandslave:thestruggleforpowerandrecognitionbetweentwoindividuals•Thestrongeronebecomes“master”,theonewholoosesthefightbecomesthe“other”•Notonlywomenareinthepositionoftheother•Otherminorities(BlacksinUS,Jewsetc.)Systemofopposites•WomenarenotaminorityinthesamemannerasforexampleBlacksintheUS•Womenhavealwaysbeenwithmen•WomendonothaveacommonhistorylikeBlacksand