Feminism and it's role in the emancipation of mankind

Extreme Feminism, as a movement which puts women above men, is inegalitarian. I feel that the women's liberation movement is traditionally about treating women with as much respect as men, but perhaps more importantly I think that the lack of this in historically patriarchal societies is what feminism is a response to.

However, a movement which considers the mind of a women as potentially the same as the mind of a man holds a disrespect for both genders, probably as a result of dogmatism. In other words, the term "equality" has been misinterpreted by these people to mean "the same" and they have become too entrenched in the idea to give it up for a more reasonable one.

I feel that women have a very important role in society, and that their liberation (particularly politically) is vital to society for not only those women who seek to have political power, but to all of society.

A bit of history is pertinent before I make my conclusion:

Women, in pre-historical tribal societies, were generally the governors of the tribe. This is because they have an instinctually nurturing mind, which is healthiest for a tribe, as a tribe's main focus is the survival and health of all of it's members. In fact, men played no role in child rearing in these pre-historical societies. We know that much of a child's development is dependant on their parent's attitudes, and in this way the child would become endowed with the nurturing characteristics of his or her mother.

Men thusly served their role of game hunter and defender of the tribe with regard to essentially nurturing drives endowed upon them by this matriarchal lifestyle. The male mind is in no way submissive and written on like a blank sheet of paper, however. He also has inherent characteristics, such as a drive to learn and intuit how mechanical things work. This is how he fills the role of a master hunter and defender.

Though this implies that each gender should strive for roles it is best fit for according to pre-historical times, this is far from the truth. It is true that feminism should attempt to put women in positions of political power, and break down barriers preventing women from having these positions. However, society is no longer so simple as to be productively responsive to a culture of matriarchy - men must also retain power. The complexities of our class society cannot be alleviated by creating more class; it is this alienation that has caused such oppressive socio-economic disparity. Our government uplifts the human spirit only insofar as all humans are able to effect it.

Likewise, the family is by no means a bad structure; a child needs a father to endow him or her with traits of reason and mechanical aptitude, and a mother to endow him with a thoughtful and nurturing attitude. But a mother should by no means be mechanically asinine, and likewise a father should have a good sense of nurturing. People in general should learn to acquire these traits to actuate their own will. This is the only way a conscious society can become reasonable and peaceful, and in this way we can fulfill the messianistic message of "Heaven on Earth."

Originally May 5/4/2005