Interestingly, feminism and male domination are just two sides of the same coin.
Here's why.
Both feminism and male domination assume that there is a necessary relation between a woman's personal role and her personal worth. Both insist that personal role and personal worth must go together, so that any limitation to the former reduces or threatens the latter. The only difference is that while feminism thinks this is a bad thing, and hence attempts to increase a woman’s worth through nullifying any limitation of role, male domination thinks it is a good thing, and hence attempts to decrease a woman’s worth by maintaining her role.
Feminism thus shares the very premise upon which male domination is founded, namely, that my personal significance is measured according to my rung on the ladder, and my opportunity for personal fulfilment enlarges or contracts according to my role. Both are wrong. As Ortlund as pointed out,
“Ironically, feminism shares the very premise upon which male domination is founded, namely, that my personal significance is measured according to my rung on the ladder, and my opportunity for personal fulfilment enlarges or contracts according to my role. By this line of reasoning, the goal of life degenerates into competition for power, and no one hungers and thirsts for true fulfilment in righteousness. No wonder both male domination and feminism are tearing people apart.”
It's strange but I never think about people in respect of who is dominating who in my own daily life. I do not see male domination as the bad thing it is painted either. It all depends on how you define the term "domination." Does the captain of a ship dominate the crew? Yes. Does the Sgt Major dominate the the humble squaddie? Yes. Is that a bad thing? NO! Of course not.
ReplyDeleteMy partner dominated in matters concerning the upkeep of the home, the children and our daly diet. I dominated when it came to safety matters (we lived in a violent area), some money issues and the future education of the kids. However, none of that domination was ego based. It was a matter of each of us playing to our strengths.
That though is the problem though with feminism. It is ego based domination made political. (The personal is political). THAT is why it is dangerous, in my view.