| Misogynist |
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FORMS OF MISOGYNY There are many different forms of misogyny. In its most overt expression, a misogynist will openly hate all women simply because they are female. Some Sexual Predator s may fall into this category. Other forms of misogyny may be more subtle. Some misogynists may simply be prejudiced against all women, or may hate women who don't fall into one or more acceptable categories. Entire cultures may be said to be misogynist if they treat women in ways that can be seen as harmful. Examples include forcing women to tend to all domestic responsibilities, demanding silence from a woman, or beating a woman regularly. Subscribers to one model, the mother/whore dichotomy, hold that women can only be "mothers" or "whores." Another variant is the Virgin/whore Dichotomy --in which women who do not adhere to a saintly standard of moral purity are considered "whores." Frequently the term ''misogynist'' is used in a looser sense as a term of derision to describe anyone who holds an unpopular or distasteful view about women as a group. A man who considers himself "a great lover of women," therefore, might somewhat paradoxically be termed a misogynist by those who consider his treatment of women sexist. Archetypes of this type of man might be Giacomo Casanova (a historical figure) and Don Juan (fictional character), who were both reputed for their many libertine affairs with women. While a "seducer" like Casanova or Don Juan might appear outwardly charming and to enjoy the company of women, many do not, at root, respect women or find them interesting as anything besides sex objects. (In Kingsley Amis 's 1965 study of the Bond novels, The James Bond Dossier , he notes that critics are not really paying attention to the actual novels when they accuse Bond of being a libertine or womanizer; Bond has one romantic affair per book and is invariably willing to risk his life to protect his lover. He is more a chivalorous knight who engages in love affairs -- like Gawain -- than a cold-hearted seducer.) Misogyny is a negative attitude towards women as a group, and as such need not fully determine a misogynist's attitude towards each individual woman. The fact that someone holds misogynist views may not prevent them from having positive relationships with some women. Conversely, simply having positive relationships with some women does not necessarily mean someone does not also hold misogynist views. MISOGYNY IN PHILOSOPHY AND RELIGION Many religions and philosophies contain what could be called misogyny. , the Code Of Manu makes women incapable of ever being independent. At times in Indian history, it was customary for a woman to be pushed onto the funeral pyre of her husband (see Sati ). In Islam , some interpretations of Sharia Law forbid women to show any part of their body in public except their face, hands or the top of their feet. There is, however, wide disagreement from followers of these religions that these various teachings are misogynistic. The 16th Century Protestant reformer John Knox wrote a book called '' The First Blast Of The Trumpet Against The Monstrous Regiment Of Women '' in which he argued against the ability of women to govern. Some of the most famous philosophers exhibited misogyny at times. , Machiavelli , Aristotle , Tolstoy and even the progressive Rousseau were also known for making such comments about women. (It should also be noted, however, that philosophers such as Pythagoras , John Stuart Mill , Friedrich Engels , Fyodor Dostoyevsky and Henry George supported Feminism .) The philosopher Otto Weininger would have to be a contender for the greatest as well as one of the most influential of all misogynists. In his book "Sex and Character" he characterizes the "woman" part of each individual as being essentially "nothing", and having no real existence, having no effective consciousness or rationality. Weininger says, "No men who really think deeply about women retain a high opinion of them; men either despise women or they have never thought seriously about them." The author August Strindberg praised Weininger for probably having solved the hardest of all problems, the "woman problem". In more recent times Dave Sim , acclaimed independent comic book creator, has produced a significant misogynist literature, characterizing women as "The Merged Void" {Link without Title} . MISOGYNY IN LANGUAGE Many Slang terms that refer to women are considered offensive by some women; such terms have existed throughout history, and change over time. Some of those common in contemporary usage are:
In some cultural groups, terms considered extremely offensive to most women (e.g., '' Bitch '', '' Cunt '', or '' Ho '') are used to refer to women in general. Many terms that refer to women's physical appearance (e.g., ''hottie'', a sexually attractive woman) see wide use, but many consider them to imply Sexual Objectification . FURTHER READINGS
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