Saturday, April 7, 2012
Am I sexist?
This is just a random query that I thought I would address right now. Whenever I find an article I disagree with in my readings for women and philosophy, I always have a fear that if I disagree with them, I would be sexist. I fear that if I do not accept everything feminism says, then I would be accused of not supporting the theory because she is a woman. Do any other people in this class have this issue?
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Respectful disagreement with something you have interpreted honestly and charitably is never sexist . One of the dispositions a course like this might help some of us (men in particular) to cultivate is some patience in considering an alternative perspective, and a certain hesitancy to dismiss it too lightly. In this respect, I suppose a little fear of being thought sexist could have epistemically salutary effects.
ReplyDeleteTruth and falsity are gender-neutral; if you disagree with someone and have solid, logical reasons for doing it, you're not sexist. However, remember that many of these philosophers are writing out of experiences that you may not have had; read them charitably, and discuss them thoroughly.
ReplyDeleteI agree with that feeling, Griffin. It has occurred to me from time to time of this concern, but I cognitively combat it. I echo both Matt's and Alex's responses though. I just wanted to mention that it's neither unusual nor, I think, unwarranted.
ReplyDeleteAgreeing with everything "feminism says" would be a logical impossibility. Feminism has so many different meanings to so many different feminists, and some of those outright contradict one another. I agree with Jacob, Alex, and Matt that one's views would not be sexist if one had logical reasons for disagreeing. It is far too great a burden to be forced to agree with every female or feminist philosopher in order to avoid being seen as sexist.
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