7/30/2019 Schopenhauer on Women Quotes

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ArthurSchopenhauer "OnWomen"SummaryQuotes

"Youneedonlylookatthewayinwhichsheisformedtoseethatwomanisnotmeanttoundergo

greatlabour,whetherofthemindorofthebody.Shepaysthedebtoflifenotbywhatshedoesbut

bywhatshesuffers;bythepainsofchildbearingandcareforthechild,andbysubmissiontoher

husband,towhomsheshouldbeapatientandcheeringcompanion."

"...justasthefemaleant,afterfecundation,losesherwings,whicharesuperfluous,nay,actually

adangertothebusinessofbreeding;so,aftergivingbirthtooneortwochildren,awomangenerally

losesherbeauty;probably,indeed,forsimilarreasons."

Thenoblerandmoreperfectathingis,thelaterandsloweritisinarrivingatmaturity.Aman

reachesthematurityofhisreasoningpowersandmentalfacultieshardlybeforetheageoftwenty

eight;awoman,ateighteen...womenremainchildrentheirwholelifelong;neverseeinganything

butwhatisquiteclosetothem...Foritisbyvirtueofhisreasoningfacultythatmandoesnotlivein

thepresentonly,likethebrute,butlooksaroundhimandconsidersthepastandthefuture...

Hence

it

will

be

found

that

the

fundamental

fault

of

the

female

character

is

that

it

has

nosense

of

justice.Thisismainlyduetothefact...thatwomenaredefectiveinthepowerofreasoningand

deliberation;butitisalsotraceabletothepositionwhichNaturehasassignedtothemastheweaker

sex.Theyaredependent,notuponstrength,butuponcraft;andhencetheirinstinctivecapacityfor

cunning,andtheirineradicabletendencytosaywhatisnottrue.

... womenexistinthemainsolelyforthepropagationofthespecies,andarenotdestinedfor

anythingelse...

Itisonlythemanwhoseintellectiscloudedbyhissexualimpulsesthatcouldgivethenameofthefairsextothatundersized,narrowshouldered,broadhipped,andshortleggedrace:forthewholebeautyofthesexisboundupwiththisimpulse.Insteadofcallingthembeautiful,therewouldbe

morewarrantfordescribingwomenastheunaestheticsex.

Schopenhauerarguesthatwomenshouldnotbebestowedwithlandorinheritance(thathasbeen

earnedthroughthetoilandhardworkofmen)becauseoftheirinabilitytodoanykindoffinancial

management,andtheirtendenciestofritterawaywealthonmaterialgoods.Womenshouldbe

appointed(male)guardianswhowillmakeproperdecisionsforthem.Aristotlearguedthatthe

SpartanswereaninferiorracebecausetheyconcededtoomanyrightstowomenSchopenhauer

statesthatthisisalsoakeyfactorinwhytheFrenchrevolutionoccurred.

Thefirstloveofamotherforherchildis,withtheloweranimalsaswithmen,ofapurely

instinctivecharacter,andsoitceasestobewhenthechildisnolongerinaphysicallyhelplesscondition

...The

love

of

afather

for

his

child

is

of

adifferent

order,

and

more

likely

to

last;

because

ithasitsfoundationinthefactthatinthechildherecogniseshisowninnerself;thatistosayhis

loveforitismetaphysicalinorigin.

Thatwomanisbynaturemeanttoobeymaybeseenbythefactthateverywomanwhoisplacedin

theunnaturalpositionofcompleteindependence,immediatelyattachesherselftosomeman,by

whomsheallowsherselftobeguidedandruled.Itisbecausesheneedsalordandmaster.Ifsheis

young,itwillbealover;ifsheisold,apriest.