Oppression Over Women and Genes: the opportunist male and man's nature

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.

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