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Sex and Character (book): Difference between revisions
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[[File:Geschlechtundcharakter.png|300x300px|right]] | [[File:Geschlechtundcharakter.png|300x300px|right]] | ||
'''Sex and Character''' (German: ''Geschlecht und Charakter'', 1903) is a philosophical work written by [[Otto Weininger]]. | '''Sex and Character''' (German: ''Geschlecht und Charakter'', 1903) is a philosophical work written by [[Otto Weininger]]. | ||
The work takes a philosophical and psychological approach to the subject of gender relations, with | The work takes a philosophical and psychological approach to the subject of gender relations, representing Weininger's attempt to solve the "woman problem" and redefine the scientific study of gender differences, with Weininger argued for a view of gender differences as representing two heterogeneous Platonic ideal forms, namely the masculine and the feminine. | ||
He also outlines a bi-sexual theory of gender that argues that spoke of sexual differences and gender as a spectrum, with individuals of both sexes exhibiting masculine and feminine characteristics, but with the typical male being characterized by masculinity and the typical woman being characterized by femininity. Much of his work anticipated the work of Sigmund Freud, in particular his bisexual theory of sex differences, though Freud had harshly criticized his work when Weininger brought it before him for review. | |||
In an attempt to prove his thesis, he draws upon the science of Biology, the (then incipient) science of Psychology, and the corpus of Western philosophy, particularly the works of Aristotle, Plato, Schopenhauer, and [[Friedrich Nietzsche|Nietzsche]]. The book is controversial because of the anti-Semitic and masculinist themes of the work (with the author being accused of misogyny), as well as the role it played in influencing the ideology of the National Socialist movement in Germany, which selectively trumpeted the antisemitic themes of the work, with Weininger frequently making vitriolic attacks on what he perceives as "Jewishness". While Weininger largely rejected scientific racism; he conceived of Jewishness as a spirit of the mind, a psychological tendency, and a soulless and materialist worldview that needed to be opposed. Weininger does also briefly touch upon scientific racist concepts, though. | |||
==Bisexual theory of human sexual characteristics== | ==Bisexual theory of human sexual characteristics== | ||
Weininger speaks of sex/gender as a spectrum, with no human being fully male or female, psychologically or biologically. He says this in a number of different ways. He speaks of humans as a mixture of platonic ideals of male and female. Later, he speaks of people as a mixture of [[Arrhenoplasm]] and [[Thelyplasm]] | |||
Weininger speaks of how sexual characteristics are present throughout the whole body, through every inch of tissue, every cell. That gender variation determines brain size and many other physical states. He argued that every inch of a person provides a gender stimulus to another human. And that every inch of a person must be considered to determine where someone fits between male and female. Weininger speaks of cells being able to show how someone fits between male and female. He wrote his book in a time when chromosomes were simply a brash theory.<ref>https://www.vox.com/2016/7/7/12105830/nettie-stevens-genetics-gender-sex-chromosomes</ref>, and DNA had not yet been discovered. His theory anticipated the discovery of the androgen and estrogen receptors in human cells. Weininger was arguing that anatomy, from the core, had a large part in determining gender. That [[soyboy|soyboys]] should (usually) have smooth skin, and that tomboys should (usually) have more rough skin. He argues this theory on the basis of the fact that typically masculine men can often exhibit certain feminine traits (such as wider hips etc.) and vice versa for feminine women. Any anatomical deviations from overall gender were therefore caused by variations in individual cells. | Weininger speaks of how sexual characteristics are present throughout the whole body, through every inch of tissue, every cell. That gender variation determines brain size and many other physical states. He argued that every inch of a person provides a gender stimulus to another human. And that every inch of a person must be considered to determine where someone fits between male and female. Weininger speaks of cells being able to show how someone fits between male and female. He wrote his book in a time when chromosomes were simply a brash theory.<ref>https://www.vox.com/2016/7/7/12105830/nettie-stevens-genetics-gender-sex-chromosomes</ref>, and DNA had not yet been discovered. His theory anticipated the discovery of the androgen and estrogen receptors in human cells. Weininger was arguing that anatomy, from the core, had a large part in determining gender. That [[soyboy|soyboys]] should (usually) have smooth skin, and that tomboys should (usually) have more rough skin. He argues this theory on the basis of the fact that typically masculine men can often exhibit certain feminine traits (such as wider hips etc.) and vice versa for feminine women. Any anatomical deviations from overall gender were therefore caused by variations in individual cells. | ||
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Thus each individual seeks their complement in terms of choice of romantic partners. Unions that violated this principle would be invariably unstable and would likely result in dissolution of the marriage. He describes children born from "unions of love" as the most vigorous and strongest, thus he claims that "marriages of convenience" generally were productive of "inferior" offspring, or were typically barren. He asserted that this theory of attraction represented a natural law, thus it did not only apply to mankind, but also the lower animals and even plants. | Thus each individual seeks their complement in terms of choice of romantic partners. Unions that violated this principle would be invariably unstable and would likely result in dissolution of the marriage. He describes children born from "unions of love" as the most vigorous and strongest, thus he claims that "marriages of convenience" generally were productive of "inferior" offspring, or were typically barren. He asserted that this theory of attraction represented a natural law, thus it did not only apply to mankind, but also the lower animals and even plants. | ||
==Masculinity and Feminity== | |||
One of the core ideas of the work is the idea that there exists two Platonic essences, namely - the 'masculine (M)' and the 'feminine (W) ' - that are inherent in all individuals of both sexes to a greater or lesser degree. Overwhelmingly, in his view, men exhibit more of the masculine essence and women exhibit more of the feminine essence. | |||
In Weininger's view, the masculine essence is active and energetic, and the feminine essence is passive and exists chiefly to be acted upon by the masculine. This means that only those women who are inherently more masculine than other women (and therefore are capable of genius, to some extent) can be truly 'emancipated', he argues, with the "typical" women being portrayed as fundamentally vacuous creatures that are solely concerned with the matters of reproduction and sexuality. Anticipating Freud's "Madonna-whore complex", he saw the true nature of women as conforming to one of the two types, due to their exclusive focus on sexuality, whereas Weininger [[volcel|promoted sexual continence]] as one of the highest virtues. | |||
In sum, Weininger forcefully disparages femininity, which is consistently identified with passivity, vacuity, and animal lust, contrasting with what Weininger argued are the higher virtues which he judged only men were typically capable of expressing. The author also sought to undertake a comprehensive study of the nature of genius, in view of his focus on what he saw as the hierarchy of the masculine and feminine essences. | |||
==Excerpts== | ==Excerpts== | ||