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A review by lar_iiious
The Subjection of Women by John Stuart Mill, John Stuart Mill
3.0
In the essay “The Subjection of Women”, first published in 1869, philosopher and politician John Stuart Mill reflects upon the inferior position of women in society and marriage in particular.
One of the key points the author makes is that women are forced into dependency on men and that marriage laws uphold this. He questions the prevalent belief of this inferiority and status of women being natural and argues for equality between the sexes and against privileges on either side. He explains the role of women came to be due to differences in physical strength between the sexes but that “the law of the strongest” is no longer the decisive factor in who gains power and who does not. By highlighting the exceptional role of the queen in England, he effectively draws attention to this inherent contradiction that a woman can have one of the most powerful positions of all but not choose most other professions or have the freedom and power that men have. At the same time, he supports his argument that what seems natural is simply what we are used to because this seems natural to people in England but not in other countries.
Of course, I cannot agree with everything Mill writes, partly because feminism has evolved a lot since the 19th century, partly because of other reasons but we are going to get to that later. Yet, considering the historical and societal context, some of Mill’s thoughts seem quite reasonable, ground-breaking even. For example, Mill acknowledges women’s nature and behavior to be artificially forged by societal norms and education. He even goes as far as to proclaim his belief “that equality of rights would lessen the exaggerated self-denial that is the present artificial ideal of feminine character, and that a good woman would not be more self-sacrificing than the best man: whereas men would be much more unselfish and self-sacrificing than they are at present because they would no longer be taught to worship their own will as such a grand thing that it is actually the law for another human being.” (Mill, 1869). Some men I know nowadays would not readily admit to that.
Yet, Mill was clearly a very privileged, white, Christian, male person and that is noticeable. Equality and free will does not encompass and fall upon all. Various times Mill refers to the inferiority of other religions in comparison to Christianity and the inferiority in character of people of lower class. He also argues that men could choose their profession and fate themselves, neglecting the various external and internal conditions which are not equal for all and the still profound influence of racism and classism. So, while Mill tries to establish very forward thinking and feminist ideas, he is rooted in classism and a Eurocentric and Christian tradition. The question is whether this is a reason to dislike this book or to cherish it even more. Yes, it is a book written by a very privileged white man with ideas probably influenced by his wife. In my opinion, though, it is important to recognize that feminism is not perfect and learn from that. Mill recognizes that women have to do most of the care work and therefore arrives at the conclusion they should not have to do wage labour. There are different conclusions that can be drawn from this. Yet, Mill’s key belief in the ideal of equality in marriage and society is still valid and too often unattained in relationships and society nowadays, so “The subjection of women” remains, perhaps surprisingly, relevant.
One of the key points the author makes is that women are forced into dependency on men and that marriage laws uphold this. He questions the prevalent belief of this inferiority and status of women being natural and argues for equality between the sexes and against privileges on either side. He explains the role of women came to be due to differences in physical strength between the sexes but that “the law of the strongest” is no longer the decisive factor in who gains power and who does not. By highlighting the exceptional role of the queen in England, he effectively draws attention to this inherent contradiction that a woman can have one of the most powerful positions of all but not choose most other professions or have the freedom and power that men have. At the same time, he supports his argument that what seems natural is simply what we are used to because this seems natural to people in England but not in other countries.
Of course, I cannot agree with everything Mill writes, partly because feminism has evolved a lot since the 19th century, partly because of other reasons but we are going to get to that later. Yet, considering the historical and societal context, some of Mill’s thoughts seem quite reasonable, ground-breaking even. For example, Mill acknowledges women’s nature and behavior to be artificially forged by societal norms and education. He even goes as far as to proclaim his belief “that equality of rights would lessen the exaggerated self-denial that is the present artificial ideal of feminine character, and that a good woman would not be more self-sacrificing than the best man: whereas men would be much more unselfish and self-sacrificing than they are at present because they would no longer be taught to worship their own will as such a grand thing that it is actually the law for another human being.” (Mill, 1869). Some men I know nowadays would not readily admit to that.
Yet, Mill was clearly a very privileged, white, Christian, male person and that is noticeable. Equality and free will does not encompass and fall upon all. Various times Mill refers to the inferiority of other religions in comparison to Christianity and the inferiority in character of people of lower class. He also argues that men could choose their profession and fate themselves, neglecting the various external and internal conditions which are not equal for all and the still profound influence of racism and classism. So, while Mill tries to establish very forward thinking and feminist ideas, he is rooted in classism and a Eurocentric and Christian tradition. The question is whether this is a reason to dislike this book or to cherish it even more. Yes, it is a book written by a very privileged white man with ideas probably influenced by his wife. In my opinion, though, it is important to recognize that feminism is not perfect and learn from that. Mill recognizes that women have to do most of the care work and therefore arrives at the conclusion they should not have to do wage labour. There are different conclusions that can be drawn from this. Yet, Mill’s key belief in the ideal of equality in marriage and society is still valid and too often unattained in relationships and society nowadays, so “The subjection of women” remains, perhaps surprisingly, relevant.