Feminism and human nature
Feminism, as de ned by Andrew Heyward, is an ideology committed to promoting the social role of
women, and in most cases, it is dedicated to the goal of gender equality. Feminism has evolved over
four waves, the rst originating in the middle of the 19th century, focusing on legal and political rights;
the second wave emerged in the 1960s, and saw the emergence of socialist and radical feminism.
Which was interested in enhancing freedoms for women in family life and recognising them as
independent economic actors. The third wave sought to expose how cultural variations had affected
women's oppression. What is clear from this historical narrative is how many competing views there
are within feminism and how the different strands nd it dif cult to nd consensus on human nature,
commonly viewed as the essential and immutable character of all human beings.
P1: Agree
• No difference between the human nature of men and woman
• Equality feminists (Liberal-Simone de Beauvoir, Radical-Kate Millett, and Socialist feminists)
i.e. the majority of families across the different traditions, believe that humans are androgynous
and that gender differences are not based on natural differences between man and woman's
human nature but created by men (Simone de Beauvoir)
• Gender distinctions ARE social constructs rather than part of human nature and these lead to
the gender pay gap, for example.
• Equality feminists: society requires women to adopt the feminine gender role in order for her
to accept a position in the family structure among others
• These gender roles can, and should be challenged in order to improve the position of women in
society (Kate Millet)
• Once patriarchy has been overcome gender distinctions will become largely irrelevant
• Equality feminists: patriarchy instils gender stereotypes on woman and man in society,
imposing an arti cial nature on woman to keep them in a subordinate position (Charlotte
Perkins Gilman-Liberal Feminist) CPG can be seen as both a liberal feminist (as that was the
nature of the era in which she worked and wrote) and as a socialist feminist, as some of her
proposals (community-based child-rearing, community kitchens to allow women the necessary
freedom for a non-domestic existence) were based on some of socialism’s key principles, such
as collectivism and social justice.
P2: Disagree
• Difference feminists (Cultural feminists- strand of radical feminist- Sheila Jeffreys): men and
women are different.
• Different natures between men an women are rooted in biology: essentialism
• Difference feminists: Women should not try to be like men/androgynous, but should celebrate
their differences and distinctiveness based on their distinct human nature
• Difference feminists: disagree with the idea that once patriarchy has been overcome gender
distinctions will become largely irrelevant
• Separatist feminists- strand of difference feminist e.g. Sheila Jeffreys/political lesbians (a form
of radical feminism) -The only option therefore is for women to live separately from
oppression.
• Greer: form of radical feminism. disagree with cultural/difference feminists and argue that men
are predisposed to oppress women and this biological difference is xed.
P3: Evaluation
• There is fundamental disagreement between equality feminists, who object to the idea that
gender distinctions are based on human nature and different feminists, who have a very
fundamental unyielding view of human nature
fifi fi fi fifi
, • Most equality feminists reject and challenge gender distinctions and discrimination in society
which they argue are based on social constructs rather than human nature. Difference feminists
argue for a society where women's differences are celebrated based on the belief in the
different human natures of men and women
• Most feminists agree that patriarchy distorts the true nature of both men and women in society
but the majority of feminists are dismissive of the separatist views of the form of radical
feminism
• Many of the separatist feminist voices of the 1970s and ‘80s have moved away from their
strictest beliefs about distance from men as they have grown older – perhaps owing to the
impracticality of it, perhaps as a result of some deciding that they weren’t actually lesbian, and
therefore they had a need for men in their lives.
Conc
It is clear to see that there are signi cant disagreement between feminism about whether gender
distinctions are based on human nature. Equality feminists argue that there should be no xed gender
distinctions and gender roles are not based on human nature rather they are social constructs. Their
goal is for men and women to be treated equal in society and for humans to be seen as androgynous.
Difference/essentialist/cultural feminists disagree and argue that men and women have fundamentally
different human nature's stemming from biology. Carole Gilligan arguing that women are more
naturally nurturing.
fi fi
Feminism, as de ned by Andrew Heyward, is an ideology committed to promoting the social role of
women, and in most cases, it is dedicated to the goal of gender equality. Feminism has evolved over
four waves, the rst originating in the middle of the 19th century, focusing on legal and political rights;
the second wave emerged in the 1960s, and saw the emergence of socialist and radical feminism.
Which was interested in enhancing freedoms for women in family life and recognising them as
independent economic actors. The third wave sought to expose how cultural variations had affected
women's oppression. What is clear from this historical narrative is how many competing views there
are within feminism and how the different strands nd it dif cult to nd consensus on human nature,
commonly viewed as the essential and immutable character of all human beings.
P1: Agree
• No difference between the human nature of men and woman
• Equality feminists (Liberal-Simone de Beauvoir, Radical-Kate Millett, and Socialist feminists)
i.e. the majority of families across the different traditions, believe that humans are androgynous
and that gender differences are not based on natural differences between man and woman's
human nature but created by men (Simone de Beauvoir)
• Gender distinctions ARE social constructs rather than part of human nature and these lead to
the gender pay gap, for example.
• Equality feminists: society requires women to adopt the feminine gender role in order for her
to accept a position in the family structure among others
• These gender roles can, and should be challenged in order to improve the position of women in
society (Kate Millet)
• Once patriarchy has been overcome gender distinctions will become largely irrelevant
• Equality feminists: patriarchy instils gender stereotypes on woman and man in society,
imposing an arti cial nature on woman to keep them in a subordinate position (Charlotte
Perkins Gilman-Liberal Feminist) CPG can be seen as both a liberal feminist (as that was the
nature of the era in which she worked and wrote) and as a socialist feminist, as some of her
proposals (community-based child-rearing, community kitchens to allow women the necessary
freedom for a non-domestic existence) were based on some of socialism’s key principles, such
as collectivism and social justice.
P2: Disagree
• Difference feminists (Cultural feminists- strand of radical feminist- Sheila Jeffreys): men and
women are different.
• Different natures between men an women are rooted in biology: essentialism
• Difference feminists: Women should not try to be like men/androgynous, but should celebrate
their differences and distinctiveness based on their distinct human nature
• Difference feminists: disagree with the idea that once patriarchy has been overcome gender
distinctions will become largely irrelevant
• Separatist feminists- strand of difference feminist e.g. Sheila Jeffreys/political lesbians (a form
of radical feminism) -The only option therefore is for women to live separately from
oppression.
• Greer: form of radical feminism. disagree with cultural/difference feminists and argue that men
are predisposed to oppress women and this biological difference is xed.
P3: Evaluation
• There is fundamental disagreement between equality feminists, who object to the idea that
gender distinctions are based on human nature and different feminists, who have a very
fundamental unyielding view of human nature
fifi fi fi fifi
, • Most equality feminists reject and challenge gender distinctions and discrimination in society
which they argue are based on social constructs rather than human nature. Difference feminists
argue for a society where women's differences are celebrated based on the belief in the
different human natures of men and women
• Most feminists agree that patriarchy distorts the true nature of both men and women in society
but the majority of feminists are dismissive of the separatist views of the form of radical
feminism
• Many of the separatist feminist voices of the 1970s and ‘80s have moved away from their
strictest beliefs about distance from men as they have grown older – perhaps owing to the
impracticality of it, perhaps as a result of some deciding that they weren’t actually lesbian, and
therefore they had a need for men in their lives.
Conc
It is clear to see that there are signi cant disagreement between feminism about whether gender
distinctions are based on human nature. Equality feminists argue that there should be no xed gender
distinctions and gender roles are not based on human nature rather they are social constructs. Their
goal is for men and women to be treated equal in society and for humans to be seen as androgynous.
Difference/essentialist/cultural feminists disagree and argue that men and women have fundamentally
different human nature's stemming from biology. Carole Gilligan arguing that women are more
naturally nurturing.
fi fi
