[Wittrs] Re: Re Kirby's Question about Misogyny
- From: Sean Wilson <whoooo26505@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: wittrsamr@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Sat, 21 Aug 2010 13:11:47 -0700 (PDT)
... it seems to me that one wouldn't really superimpose the term "misogyny" on
behavior that occurs in a patriarchal culture. Historians might call such a
thing "presentistic." Of course, I could be wrong if something else is meant
by
it. Fundamentally, the question is whether it is a clinical sort of term or
whether it is something ideological. Many of these group-defense terms come to
take on the license of a sword or weapon in the post-modern culture as opposed
to being something reserved for a shield or "foul."
Instead of asking that question, it would be much more helpful to ask more
directly: what were his attitudes about women, and how were they comparative to
the era in which he lived. There is of course plenty in Wittgenstein's history
to call him chauvinistic by today's standards. He would expect his meals on
time
when living in houses with wives. He had patriarchal feelings toward his
once-apparent fiance, Marguerite Respinger. He once told one of his students in
the mid-to-late 40s-- Anascomb I think -- that he was happy no women had
enrolled for one of his classes. (There's much worse stuff than this, too).
But none of this is to say anything normative without imposing a relevant
peer-standard and without examine whether his behavior was injurious as opposed
to just blustery (which it usually always was). You know, I imagine that asking
what Wittgenstein in the first half of 1900s felt about women as an ideological
matter is a lot like asking strident lesbians what they think about males,
today. I bet you'd get some interesting attitudes that would compare with one
another at the level of bluster.
What one would make with any of this, I'm not sure.
Regards and thanks.
Dr. Sean Wilson, Esq.
Assistant Professor
Wright State University
Personal Website: http://seanwilson.org
(Subscribe: http://ludwig.squarespace.com/sworg-subscribe/ )
SSRN papers: http://ssrn.com/author=596860
New Discussion Groups! http://ludwig.squarespace.com/discussionfora/
----- Original Message ----
From: walto <calhorn@xxxxxxx>
To: wittrsamr@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Sent: Sat, August 21, 2010 3:08:48 PM
Subject: [Wittrs] Re Kirby's Question about Misogyny
He had a very close relationship with Elizabeth Anscombe. He did call
her "Old Man" or something like that, which could cut in either
direction, I suppose.
W
==========================================
Need Something? Check here: http://ludwig.squarespace.com/wittrslinks/
Other related posts:
