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Olivia Waller
HUMA 1301 Introduction to the Humanities
Professor Kim Jackson
1 December 2015
Femininity Is A Desideratum
Introduction
The definition of patriarchy is a social system in which men hold the power. In a
patriarchy, men generate cultural norms and customs that only favor them, and they withhold
opportunity from women. Gloria Steinem, leader of the feminist movement, said, The overall
problem is that women are still treated as a particular subject, rather than something that
transforms every subject. The discrepancy of democracy between male and female in the home
can directly predict the discrepancy of democracy in its nations structures and politics. This
project claims that there is an over-emphasis on masculine value and a devaluation of the
feminine worth in modern society. This project will analyze, through a philosophical lens, the
evidence of minimizing womens value, the consequences that follow, and the benefits humanity
would gain by incorporating feminine principles into its structures.
Under patriarchal control, there is a ubiquitous propensity to embrace the goals that men
have embedded into societys ideology such as conquest, discrimination, and control. The same
propensity encourages one to reject the principles of femininity such as nurturing, connectivity,
and communication. As a result of a deep imbalance between male and female, humanity has
deteriorated sharply. A version of morality has been fabricated in which war has become
accepted, and violence has become desensitized. It is important to strengthen the status women to
that of men, so the quality of life in all of humanity will flourish. In order to achieve this, society

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must be educated and empowered. When the masculine and the feminine are balanced, there is
harmony, synchronicity, and unity. However, it will not be achieved by continuing the current
approach of integrating women into an erroneous system, but instead transform the system into
one that embraces women rather than opposes them.

The evidence of minimizing womens value

Evidence of minimizing female principles is apparent in almost every avenue in society.
For example, women are forced to adopt principles of masculinity in order to prevail in the
political realm, the corporate world, or any executive position of power. A woman is expected to
deny her femininity, and instead she must present the appearance and disposition of a man. In a
study produced by The Journal of Social Psychology, psychologists found that a womans
attractiveness limits her success in jobs deemed masculine such as corporate managerial
positions (Shapiro). The phenomena can be exemplified in the apparel of women who are in
positions of power. A woman is generally expected to wear some form of a suit. She is also
inclined to cut her hair short. The short haircut yields power for women because it echoes
masculinity.
The ultimate evidence can be seen in the history of Americas presidents. Being president
is the supreme position of power. Currently, not a single woman has been elected into office in
the 239 years of Americas existence. Even if the two women, Hillary Clinton and Carly Fiorina,
who are both presently running for office are sworn into presidency in the next two elections,
then women will of held only four percent of presidencies. If only one of the two women
candidates is sworn into office, then women will of held only two percent of presidencies.
However, right now women have held zero percent of presidencies. Women have not had an

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equal chance to communicate their acumen in politics, because they have never had the privilege
of equal representation in government.
Tracing this issue back to its origin, the dawn of womens debasement, Gloria Steinem
argues, stems from same sex based myths. Steinem says, Mans hunting activities are forever
being pointed to as tribal proof of superiority. But while he was hunting, women built houses,
tilled the fields, developed animal husbandry, and perfected language (www.historymatter.edu).
In this instance, men, after preforming indispensible, yet perfunctory survival procedures such as
hunting, have allowed their egos to grow large enough for them to debauch the truth and see only
what they wish to see. Professor Melvin Konner writes in an essay:
Contrary to all received wisdom, women are more logical and less emotional than men.
Women do cry more easily, and that, too, is partly biological. But life on this planet isnt
threatened by womens tears; nor does that brimming salty fluid cause poverty, drain
public coffers, ruin reputations, impose forced intimacies, slay children, torture helpless
people, or reduce cities to rubble (Bovy).
This is not an argument about the superiority of one sex compared to the other. Instead, this
paper argues that the feminine principle has become inarticulate. Allowing the female value to be
integrated into our structures, systems, and human psyche could liberate humanity of oppression,
and cease the barbarity that engulfs innocents around the world.

The consequences of minimizing womens value

When the balance between the masculine and feminine principles is absent, and there is
an over-emphasis placed on masculinity, the masculine principle will naturally amplify. The
impact of the masculine evolution has diminished the female principles. Feminine value is

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inarticulate and fruitless. An article by the Scientific and Medical Network expresses:
The symptoms of a pathological masculine are rigidity, dogmatic inflexibility,
omnipotence, and an obsession with or addiction to power and control We can see the
predatory impulse to acquire or to conquer new territory in the drive for global control of
world markets, in the ideology of growth... We can see the brutal legacy of this
imbalance in Afghanistan, Bosnia, Russia and now Kosovo (Baring).
For example, exaggerated competitiveness can be seen in examples such as the agricultural
industry or out-sourcing the majority of our products to other countries. In both of these
instances, there are no ethical regulations for the workers. Working conditions are shocking and
gruesome, and workers are paid meager wages. This is a form of slavery and oppression.
Workers are not treated as human beings; instead, they are treated as dispensable capital.
However, corporations continue the vicious cycle because they earn maximum profit.
The ramifications of devaluing womens worth are evident across the entire world.
Joseph Campbell writes, Where the male come in, you have division, while where the female
comes in you have union (Campbell 86). For example, a dictator can be viewed as an acute
reflection of the deeply rooted cultural imbalance between men and women. The supererogatory
conquest of control and crusade directly corresponds to the inflated masculine principle. A
dictator also serves as an extreme example of the perilous consequences of this affliction.
Violence, war, and genocide have remained prevalent throughout history because of the overemphasis on masculine value.
Gloria Steinem explains that women have gained the burden of devaluation because
women are the means of reproduction. The patriarchys agenda is to control women by
controlling the means of reproduction (Steinem). For millennia, this imbalance has resided in our

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culture, and men have exploited women to gain the position of dominance.

Incorporating feminine value

Reshaping modern societys ideology to praise the female value would be of great
benefit. Heavy importance is placed on linear expansion in the context of production, growth,
and development. The ubiquitous propensity to embrace goals defined by men exacerbates the
innate desire within mankind to go faster, produce more, and obtain more. Although linear
expansion is necessary for the success of a nation, the expansion of creativity, comprehension,
and depth is also equally as significant. However, these values, which directly correspond to
femininity, have been virtually lost over centuries. This can be attributed to the over-emphasis
placed on masculine principles.
The solution to incorporating creativity back into society is through education. Ken
Robinson, expert on education and creativity, expresses, Creativity is putting your imagination
to work, and it's produced the most extraordinary results in human culture. The advantages of
utilizing creativity could be the solution to the nonrenewable resource shortage and the
environmental crisis on both land and sea. It could also be the solution to many political issues
both domestic and foreign. Creativity could solve poverty or help shorten the immense gap
between the rich and the poor. Ken Robinson also says, We have to go from what is essentially
an industrial model of education, which is based on linearity and conformity and batching
people. We have to move to a model that is based more on principles of agriculture. We have to
recognize that human flourishing is not a mechanical process; it's organic (Robinson). In order
to rebalance the female principle with the male principle, the education system must be
transformed to be as equally inclusive of creativity as it is linearity.

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The feminine value is thoughtful and communicative. It implements mindfulness in its

decision-making. A person who is connected to his or her femininity understands the wisdom in
leading by following. He or she is an active listener who is perceptive of her environment. He or
she assumes the leadership position only when she decides it is necessary, and he or she does not
allow imperious logic to govern his or her actions. A person who is connected to his or her
femininity also acknowledges that communication is intrinsic to the foundation of an honest
nation. In America, there are many important affairs that the government selectively conceals
from its people as a means of control. By keeping the masses uneducated, enlightenment is
insurmountable, and thus revolution is averted. The poignant evidence manifested in any media
outlet indicates that the need to control stems from the over-emphasis society has placed on
masculine value.

Conclusion
We need to transform our societys system into one that is welcoming and favorable for
women as well as men. Throughout my research process, I have learned that many great
philosophers such as Joseph Campbell, and the leader of the feminist movement herself, Gloria
Steinem, have been discussing these issues for a long time. Scholars are on the leading edge of
expansion concerning womens rights. However, it is the media that withholds this information
from us. The perpetuation of societys current situation will never yield positive results for
women, and the sexes will remain unbalanced unless we are educated.

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Bibliography
Baring, Anne. "Rebalancing The Masculine & The Feminine." CollectiveEvolution RSS.
The Scientific and Medical Network, Nov.-Dec. 2015. Web. 01 Dec. 2015.
<http://www.collective-evolution.com/2015/11/10/rebalancing-the-masculinethefeminine/>.
Bovy, Phoebe Maltz. "A Biology Professor Mansplains Why Women Are Superior. No
Thanks." New Republic, 1 Apr. 2015. Web. 01 Dec. 2015.
<https://newrepublic.com/article/121432/biology-professor-mansplains-whywomenare-superior-no-thanks>.
Campbell, Joseph, and Safron Rossi. Goddesses: Mysteries of the Feminine Divine. N.p.:
n.p., n.d. Print.
Robinson, Ken. "Do Schools Kill Creativity?" TED Talks. 1 Dec. 2015. Speech.
Shapiro, Bee. "Is This the Haircut You Need to Get Ahead?" Glamour. N.p., 8 Apr. 2015. Web.
11 Dec. 2015. <http://www.glamour.com/lipstick/blogs/girls-in-the-beautydepartment/2014/04/the-most-powerful-haircut-in-a>.
Steinem, Gloria. ""All Our Problems Stem from the Same Sex Based Myths": Gloria
Steinem Delineates American Gender Myths during ERA Hearings." "All Our
Problems Stem from the Same Sex Based Myths": Gloria Steinem Delineates
American Gender Myths during ERA Hearings. History Matters, n.d. Web. 09
Nov. 2015. http://historymatters.gmu.edu/d/7025/
Steinem, Gloria. "Gloria Steinem on Men, Women and Power." Interview by Stacey
Tisdale and Gloria Steinem. Www.youtube.com. PBS, 19 July 2011. Web.
<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TmFxFmrcngk>
Steinem, Gloria "No Safe Place: Violence Against Women." Interview by G