I fell in love with Mill when I read The Subjection of Women. Any man that is willing to argue for women to have equal rights is a hero in my eyes. Just think what rights women may still not have today if it were for the help of authors such as Mill. Mill argues that neither sex should be over the other in the following passage:
“the legal subordination of one sex to the other – is wrong in itself, and now one of the chief hindrances to human improvement; and that it ought to be replaced by a principle of perfect equality, admitting no power or privilege on the one side, nor disability on the other." (521).
Mill goes on to describe how the subjection of women by men could be compared to that of slaves being suppressed by their masters and how it differs slightly. Mill states,
“All men, except the most brutish, desire to have, in the woman most nearly connected with them, not a forced slave but a willing one, not a slave merely, but a favourite. They have therefore put everything in practice to enslave their minds. The masters of all other slaves rely, for maintaining obedience, on fear; either fear of themselves, or religious fears. The masters of women wanted more than simple obedience, and they turned the whole force of education to effect their purpose.” (523).
I enjoyed this comparison because I believe it is very true and I am glad that Mill was able to see such a connection.
My favorite quote of Mill comes from this work as well. Mill writes,
“I deny that anyone knows, or can know, the nature of the two sexes, as long as they have only been seen in their present relation to one another. If men had ever been found in society without women, or women without men, or if there had been a society of men and women in which the women were not under the control of the men, something might have been positively known about the mental and moral differences which may be inherent in the nature of each.” (524).
I enjoy this quote because it shows that we must allow women to be seen as equals in order to gain a accurate understanding of women and men separately. It shows that in order to truly see the differences between a man and woman—whether it be physical, mental or moral—we must allow there to be equality between the sexes.
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3 comments:
Valerie,
I am glad you enjoyed Mill so much! Good observations on his writings in this post, and some very good quotations to examine. Your handling of the quotations is problematic, however; the passages you quote are quite long, and without extensive commentary and discussion they can seem like padding to lengthen your post. If you quote a passage be sure to discuss it and let your reader see what you observe in it.
I enjoyed your post on Mill. You really did a good job in picking quotations as well as explaining them. Mills is a real visionary and I am glad we read several of his works in this class.
I enjoyed reading your blog on Mill. I agree that a man who stands up for women when they are treated wrong is a great thing. I also found it interesting that you pointed out his comparison of women's subjection by men to slavery. Good Job on this blog!
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