Otto Weininger: Difference between revisions

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Weininger was staunchly opposed to what he saw as "Jewishness" (which he saw as a negative force inherent in everyone to a greater or lesser degree) and converted to Protestant Christianity.<ref name="deutschwiki">https://www.wikiwand.com/de/Otto_Weininger</ref> He was also an influence on the National Socialist movement, Gerald Steig, an Austrian writer, called [[Sex and Character]] "the psychological-metaphysical prelude for National Socialism, including its variants."<ref>https://www.insidehighered.com/views/2005/03/15/sex-and-single-genius</ref> Weiniger is widely regarded to have internalized elements of anti-Semitic discourse.<ref>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Self-hating_Jew</ref>
Weininger was staunchly opposed to what he saw as "Jewishness" (which he saw as a negative force inherent in everyone to a greater or lesser degree) and converted to Protestant Christianity.<ref name="deutschwiki">https://www.wikiwand.com/de/Otto_Weininger</ref> He was also an influence on the National Socialist movement, Gerald Steig, an Austrian writer, called [[Sex and Character]] "the psychological-metaphysical prelude for National Socialism, including its variants."<ref>https://www.insidehighered.com/views/2005/03/15/sex-and-single-genius</ref> Weiniger is widely regarded to have internalized elements of anti-Semitic discourse.<ref>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Self-hating_Jew</ref>
==Beliefs==
Weiniger was strongly opposed to anything Jewish and feminine. He claimed higher values and thought are unattainable for women. The more feminine a woman, the more she merely embodies vapid horniness. Only through a man, a woman is brought to life by second hand. Both Jews and women, he believed, are solely sexuality, body and matter, lacking a soul, morality and sexual modesty. He claimed Jews needed to overcome this by becoming more masculine.
Weininger's conception of 'Jewishness' was more holistic than the cruder biological definition used by the Nazis, with Weininger ultimately claiming the Jews are amoral and lacking true free will, like his depiction of women. Thus Weininger conflated what he saw as the negative aspects of "The Jewish Spirit" with what he perceived as the negative aspects of femininity. Though he ultimately denied either true agency.
He believed all barriers should be taken away from androgynous women to assert themselves in art and science, but that an all encompassing "women's movement" would drag too many women into it that have not much real capability or interest in male spaces. He argued the only women who truly value and were capable of being emancipated were masculine women, androgynous, perhaps lesbian types. Weininger was also critic of the laws that existed throughout Europe that criminalized [[homosexuality|homosexual]] acts, calling for the penalties to be reduced, or for the laws to be abolished altogether, mainly stemming from his complementary view of sexual attraction, and view of homosexuality as largely hereditary.
He saw that [[feminism|female sexual liberation]] would force most women, who he perceived as naturally not having much interest in academic or creative fields-beyond attracting men, and expressions of vanity-to write and study.  That female entrance into male spaces by non-androgynous women would [[IM LIEK SUCH A NERD LOL|mostly become an expression of vanity and attention seeking]].  Although, he saw that most of the women without real interest in art or science would follow the androgynous women's call for liberation by lashing out at their husbands and, if they are young, at their mothers. He also stated clearly that while, in his view, it was possible for a man to "descend" to the level of women, he had never known of a woman—however masculine she may be—that was not fundamentally still a woman in nature. This meant that, in his view, women were "incapable of genius".
He also believed in [[microchimerism|telegony]], though he claimed that it was very rare, and only found in cases where a woman finds her "absolute sexual complement" in a man. Another belief Weininger held in opposition to many contemporary scientists was the existence of [[physiognomy]], which Weininger hoped would be rehabilitated as a science.


==Reception of his work==
==Reception of his work==
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Weininger's biographer, David Abrahamsen, summarized the view of Weininger's work in Europe briefly after his death as such:
Weininger's biographer, David Abrahamsen, summarized the view of Weininger's work in Europe briefly after his death as such:
<blockquote>The man came as a meteor and disappeared as suddenly. It was only when he had passed that his ideas started to sparkle, electrifying the world. Some regarded him as a biologist, others as a psychologist, still others called him a mystic. Though generally considered a realist, he was at the same time strongly suspected of dealing in fantasies. He was praised for his invincible logic and attacked for his crusade against women. He was full of contradictions. His name became the signal for dispute and controversy in a thousand cities.</blockquote>
<blockquote>The man came as a meteor and disappeared as suddenly. It was only when he had passed that his ideas started to sparkle, electrifying the world. Some regarded him as a biologist, others as a psychologist, still others called him a mystic. Though generally considered a realist, he was at the same time strongly suspected of dealing in fantasies. He was praised for his invincible logic and attacked for his crusade against women. He was full of contradictions. His name became the signal for dispute and controversy in a thousand cities.</blockquote>
==Beliefs==
Weiniger was strongly opposed to anything Jewish and feminine. He claimed higher values and thought are unattainable for women. The more feminine a woman, the more she merely embodies vapid horniness. Only through a man, a woman is brought to life by second hand. Both Jews and women, he believed, are solely sexuality, body and matter, lacking a soul, morality and sexual modesty. He claimed Jews needed to overcome this by becoming more masculine.
Weininger's conception of 'Jewishness' was more holistic than the cruder biological definition used by the Nazis, with Weininger ultimately claiming the Jews are amoral and lacking true free will, like his depiction of women. Thus Weininger conflated what he saw as the negative aspects of "The Jewish Spirit" with what he perceived as the negative aspects of femininity. Though he ultimately denied either true agency.
He believed all barriers should be taken away from androgynous women to assert themselves in art and science, but that an all encompassing "women's movement" would drag too many women into it that have not much real capability or interest in male spaces. He argued the only women who truly value and were capable of being emancipated were masculine women, androgynous, perhaps lesbian types. Weininger was also critic of the laws that existed throughout Europe that criminalized [[homosexuality|homosexual]] acts, calling for the penalties to be reduced, or for the laws to be abolished altogether, mainly stemming from his complementary view of sexual attraction, and view of homosexuality as largely hereditary.
He saw that [[feminism|female sexual liberation]] would force most women, who he perceived as naturally not having much interest in academic or creative fields-beyond attracting men, and expressions of vanity-to write and study.  That female entrance into male spaces by non-androgynous women would [[IM LIEK SUCH A NERD LOL|mostly become an expression of vanity and attention seeking]].  Although, he saw that most of the women without real interest in art or science would follow the androgynous women's call for liberation by lashing out at their husbands and, if they are young, at their mothers. He also stated clearly that while, in his view, it was possible for a man to "descend" to the level of women, he had never known of a woman—however masculine she may be—that was not fundamentally still a woman in nature. This meant that, in his view, women were "incapable of genius".
He also believed in [[microchimerism|telegony]], though he claimed that it was very rare, and only found in cases where a woman finds her "absolute sexual complement" in a man. Another belief Weininger held in opposition to many contemporary scientists was the existence of [[physiognomy]], which Weininger hoped would be rehabilitated as a science.


==Suicide==
==Suicide==
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==Quotes==
==Quotes==
{{Quote|''A superior woman is still infinitely inferior to that which, at least potentially, exists in the lowest of men.''}}
{{Quote|''A superior woman is still infinitely inferior to that which, at least potentially, exists in the lowest of men.''}}
{{Quote|''No men who really think deeply about women retain a high opinion of them; men either despise women or they have never thought seriously about them.''}}
{{Quote|''No men who really think deeply about women retain a high opinion of them; men either despise women or they have never thought seriously about them.''}}
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