moiram@tektronix.UUCP (Moira Mallison ) (07/22/85)
>>> Farzin >> Moira > Farzin Moira >>> Quite interesting to see this come from a woman who stands for women's >>> rights. Do you really believe that women are simply "just different"? >> I am not a feminist. I am a humanist. I stand for *people's* rights. >Well, I did not say that you were a feminist. I did say that you stood for >women's rights and that is included in `people', isn't it? I merely wanted to clarify my philosophy. >> To say that there are no differences between men and women (apart from >> the anatomical) is absurd. >Why is it absurd? It is absurd because: >> Your implication is that all differences >> are inherent to the sex of a person. Rather, they are a part of the >> gender role learning that begins at the moment our parents learn our >> sex. And therefore, these characteristics are somewhat more easily >> modified. >If you believe that these differences are due to gender role learning, >(which I agree with), then you can't say that women are `just different' >because that implies that the reasons for the difference can not even >be explained. My use of "just" is as a synonym for "merely" which means 'nothing more than what is specified'.* So, in long (since "in short" didn't get through), what I meant to convey was that a ontogenetic trait exhibited more often by one sex than the other does not imply that that sex is either superior to or inferior to the opposite sex. It only implies that they are different. Does that make it clearer. Ahh, I thought not :-). All this reminds me of a intro Psych class I was in. One of the required books (Bodies in Revolt by Tom Hanna) I found very interesting, but I found myself reading and re-reading with the dictionary right at my side to get a clear understanding of what Hanna was saying. He came in as a guest lecturer, and one of the women in the class asked "why did you write in the style you did? I had to get my brother who has a PhD in Philosophy to interpret it." use such big words? I had to get my brother who has a PhD in philosophy to interpret it." Hanna's reply: "I had to use the words that said what I meant. Besides, it gives brothers with a PhD in Philosophy something to do." :-) Moira Mallison tektronix!moiram *American Heritage Dictionary