Дихотомия «разум/тело» и образование как проблема феминистской философии (препринт)
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Date
2013
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Навчальна книга - Богдан, Тернопіль
Abstract
RU: Как неоднократно отмечалось исследователями, история западноевропейской культуры демонстрирует ряд дихотомий, лежащих в основе многих теоретических построений, гендерных в том числе. По утверждению исследователей гендера, такие бинарные оппозиции, как культура/природа, рациональность/иррациональность, разум/чувство, дух/тело и т.п. всегда рассматривались – и рассматриваются – в русле ценностно-иерархического мышления, которое философы называют логикой доминирования.
EN: Some of the most important connections between the domination of men and subordination of women are claimed by feminist writers to be based on the dichotomy «mind/body». The latter is supposed to lie at the foundation of the oppressive conceptual frameworks which explain, justify, and maintain the subordination of women by men. Feminist philosophers claim that there are three significant features of these oppressive frameworks: value-hierarchical thinking, value dualism, and logic of domination. All features mentioned above contribute to the structure of argumentation which leads to the justification of women’s subordination. In the Western philosophy «mind/body» dualism that sets the terms for thinking «how we know what we know» – epistemological claims about the world – has been always considered as supporting men’s dominance for centuries. Plato and Aristotle associate knowledge with the extrusion of what is symbolically associated with the feminine, though Plato offers conceptions about the ideal societies where there is some place for women in the public sphere. Decartes` separation of mind and body contributed to the idea that there is an inner essence or truth of gender of which the body is an expression. It is worth while mentioning that philosophers have tried to prove that Decartes does not deny the «unity» of mind and body in his «Passions», and this gives them an impetus for further investigation of the problem. For M. Wollstonecraft as the most important feminist thinker of the XVIIIth century the project of the Enlightment involves the programme of the masculine rational education to women. S. de Beauvoir, the canonical figure in the XXth century feminism, despite her devaluation of feminine embodiment vividly contributes to the humanistic epistemology. Beauvoir`s thoughts provide us with the opportunity of articulating a distinctive feminist humanism. Since the 70s of the last century feminist theory has been successfully constructing its view of gender. Feminist philosophers declare that there is no inner truth awaiting for «authentic» realization in bodily (or material) acts. Rather there are cultural stereotypes according to which subjects construct themselves; cultural dictates according to which men and women appropriate and sometimes reinvent historically situated gender roles. Gender researchers, feminist philosophers have been addressing relevant epistemological problems, providing background information, locating particular positions and arguments. By pointing out connections between the ideas in the philosophical «canon» and the wider literature, by deconstructing the texts both of the classical philosophy and classical fiction gender researchers have managed to produce a remarkable impact on the overall feel for the concerns of the women’s place in the rational masculine world. The postmodern conditions transforming feminism into postfeminism changed the focus in the dilemma either coexist with men on the liberal route to egalitarism or come out against men on the radical separatist route. In general, postmodernism is an interesting and difficult time for gender theories: now «the end of gender» has been announced (e.g. we can present ourselves as whatever gender we want through Internet personae, we can use the services of gender identity clinics, in-vitro fertilization, and so on). Transgendered identities are challenging feminist and gender formulae which equate gender with society and sex with biology. All these influence theories about gender to a great extent. Still in feminist philosophy Cartesian «mind/body» dualism remains important and topical as it still sets the terms for thinking about women and their location in public or private spheres, still enables science to form and maintain the «scientific» vision of being male or female.
EN: Some of the most important connections between the domination of men and subordination of women are claimed by feminist writers to be based on the dichotomy «mind/body». The latter is supposed to lie at the foundation of the oppressive conceptual frameworks which explain, justify, and maintain the subordination of women by men. Feminist philosophers claim that there are three significant features of these oppressive frameworks: value-hierarchical thinking, value dualism, and logic of domination. All features mentioned above contribute to the structure of argumentation which leads to the justification of women’s subordination. In the Western philosophy «mind/body» dualism that sets the terms for thinking «how we know what we know» – epistemological claims about the world – has been always considered as supporting men’s dominance for centuries. Plato and Aristotle associate knowledge with the extrusion of what is symbolically associated with the feminine, though Plato offers conceptions about the ideal societies where there is some place for women in the public sphere. Decartes` separation of mind and body contributed to the idea that there is an inner essence or truth of gender of which the body is an expression. It is worth while mentioning that philosophers have tried to prove that Decartes does not deny the «unity» of mind and body in his «Passions», and this gives them an impetus for further investigation of the problem. For M. Wollstonecraft as the most important feminist thinker of the XVIIIth century the project of the Enlightment involves the programme of the masculine rational education to women. S. de Beauvoir, the canonical figure in the XXth century feminism, despite her devaluation of feminine embodiment vividly contributes to the humanistic epistemology. Beauvoir`s thoughts provide us with the opportunity of articulating a distinctive feminist humanism. Since the 70s of the last century feminist theory has been successfully constructing its view of gender. Feminist philosophers declare that there is no inner truth awaiting for «authentic» realization in bodily (or material) acts. Rather there are cultural stereotypes according to which subjects construct themselves; cultural dictates according to which men and women appropriate and sometimes reinvent historically situated gender roles. Gender researchers, feminist philosophers have been addressing relevant epistemological problems, providing background information, locating particular positions and arguments. By pointing out connections between the ideas in the philosophical «canon» and the wider literature, by deconstructing the texts both of the classical philosophy and classical fiction gender researchers have managed to produce a remarkable impact on the overall feel for the concerns of the women’s place in the rational masculine world. The postmodern conditions transforming feminism into postfeminism changed the focus in the dilemma either coexist with men on the liberal route to egalitarism or come out against men on the radical separatist route. In general, postmodernism is an interesting and difficult time for gender theories: now «the end of gender» has been announced (e.g. we can present ourselves as whatever gender we want through Internet personae, we can use the services of gender identity clinics, in-vitro fertilization, and so on). Transgendered identities are challenging feminist and gender formulae which equate gender with society and sex with biology. All these influence theories about gender to a great extent. Still in feminist philosophy Cartesian «mind/body» dualism remains important and topical as it still sets the terms for thinking about women and their location in public or private spheres, still enables science to form and maintain the «scientific» vision of being male or female.
Description
Т. Власова: ORCID 0000-0001-5040-5733
Keywords
дихотомия, дихотомія, dichotomy, образование, освіта, education, феминизм, фемінізм, feminism, монографія, КФП
Citation
Власова, Т. И. Дихотомия «разум/тело» и образование как проблема феминистской философии : [препринт] / Т. И. Власова // Гендерні дослідження: прикладні аспекти : наук. монографія / за наук. ред. В. П. Кравця. – Тернопіль : Навчальна книга - Богдан, 2013. – С. 113–119.