AddThis Social Bookmark Button

Português

  Home     Table of Contents     Searching       Meanings of Life       


Home
WHAT IS LOVE
Contradictions
Love of People
Love is Nothing
Love Cycles
Love and Nothing
Love and Art
Mockeries
ROMANTIC LOVE
Beauty and Love
Love is a Game
Big and Small Loves
Abelard and Heloise
Love in Literature
BROTHERLY LOVE
Brotherly Appeals
Command Love
Machiavelli Love
Lack of Love
With and Without Love
MEN AND WOMEN
Feminine Complaints
Love Games
Male Complaints
Genes and Males
Male Thought
Male Chauvinism
Irrational Marriage
Marriage & Love Games
LOVE SEX PLEASURE
Libertine Love
Love, Sex and Humour
LOVE FRIENDSHIP
Friendship Treasons
Friendship and Sex
Friends in Literature
LOVE AND EVIL
Nazis Love
Love Nourishes Evil
Genocide and Genes
Dreams of Love
LOVE OF IDEAS
Slaves of Ideas
LOVE & LACK OF TRUTH
To Lie is Legitime
Love Trivialities
Love Myths
LOVE & SCIENCE
Love and Genes
Beautiful Girls
Love and Robots
LOVE & VALUES
Love and Gratitude
Love and Humility
Love and Pride
Love and Reason
Love and Tolerance
LOVE & ETHICS
Love Animals
Pacifism and Militarism
LOVE, HITLER & HISTORY
Paths of History
LOVE AND POLITICS
Love Humanity
Sex and Politics
Patriotism Love
LOVE & ECONOMICS
Love and Market
Liberalism and Profit
Sites & Links
 


 

 

 

 



 

 

 

 


Oppression Over Women and Male Genes: the Opportunist Male 

According to a certain literary and feminist tradition, behind man’s nature lives an opportunist male, ready to impose his strength on women. In Robert Bly’s words:
 

Every modern male has, lying at the bottom of his psyche, a large, primitive being covered with hair down to his feet.
Robert Bly, American poet, Iron John  


Current evolutionist theories state that this feature of man’s nature is, in part, based on historical records: women have always been an interchange coin in the alliances between tribes and primitive human groups; in many wars of aggression, the perspective of raping women has always been a top motivation for soldiers; and, as long as possible, the men in power have surrounded themselves with a large number of women.

One more ache in the arguments of some feminists against men? It’s a temptation, in fact.

But one should be careful. Literally interpreted, such conclusions can be dangerous. In a way, they also excuse men for their oppression over women. Literally interpreted, they can justify cynicism and male chauvinism: «We are like that, and we act like that! We aren’t guilty!»

One should equate the issue in other terms. What scientists say concerning the nature of the human male is certainly founded. But human genes do not determine our behaviours unilaterally. They unchain emotions and instincts that might favour certain conducts, but that doesn’t mean that we can’t overcome them by our conscience, by information, by our intelligence.

We are always doing it, or doing it often, when - for instance - we oppose some sexual impulses. We aren’t forced to follow genes and instincts all the time, or strictly. We can't deny some genetic facets of us, some behaviours, some feelings, and the fundamentals of our inner nature. But that doesn't mean we are puppets at the mercy of genes. We aren't indeed.


Books, Films
, Cultural Stuff on feminism, love, sex, men and women nature and other related issues? See Love Essays Store (in association with Amazon)
 

Love, Marriage, Feminism, Chauvinism, Men-Women Relationships? See also:
Sex war
Feminine Complaints
Love Games
Male complaints
Male Violence
Male Chauvinism
Marriage
is Irrational
Marriage: Love Grave
 


Return Top - Opression over Women and Male Genes
Return Home - Love Essays Book and Quotations

 



 

 

 

 

Site and Essays' author: Eduardo Reisinho, Setúbal, Portugal. Copyright Eduardo Reisinho -