On Women (Schopenhauer)
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| - | "On Women" (''Über die Weiber'') is an essay by [[Arthur Schopenhauer]], in which he expressed his opposition to what he called "Teutonico-Christian stupidity" on female affairs. He claimed that "woman is by nature meant to obey", and opposed [[Friedrich Schiller|Schiller's]] poem in honor of women, ''Würde der Frauen''. The essay does give two compliments however: that "women are decidedly more sober in their judgment than [men] are" and are more sympathetic to the suffering of others. However, the latter was discounted as weakness rather than humanitarian virtue. | + | "On Women" (''Über die Weiber'') is an essay by [[Arthur Schopenhauer]] first published in [[1787]], in which he expressed his opposition to what he called "Teutonico-Christian stupidity" on female affairs. He claimed that "woman is by nature meant to obey", and opposed [[Friedrich Schiller|Schiller's]] poem in honor of women, ''Würde der Frauen''. The essay does give two compliments however: that "women are decidedly more sober in their judgment than [men] are" and are more sympathetic to the suffering of others. However, the latter was discounted as weakness rather than humanitarian virtue. |
| The ultra-intolerant view of women contrasts with Schopenhauer's generally liberal views on other social issues: he was strongly against [[taboo]]s on issues like [[suicide]] and [[masochism]] and condemned the treatment of African [[slavery|slaves]]. This [[polemic]] on female nature has since been fiercely attacked as [[misogyny|misogynistic]]. However, he did not hold a universally negative opinion of women; one should note that Schopenhauer had a very high opinion of [[Madame de Guyon]], whose writings and biography he highly recommended. | The ultra-intolerant view of women contrasts with Schopenhauer's generally liberal views on other social issues: he was strongly against [[taboo]]s on issues like [[suicide]] and [[masochism]] and condemned the treatment of African [[slavery|slaves]]. This [[polemic]] on female nature has since been fiercely attacked as [[misogyny|misogynistic]]. However, he did not hold a universally negative opinion of women; one should note that Schopenhauer had a very high opinion of [[Madame de Guyon]], whose writings and biography he highly recommended. | ||
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"On Women" (Über die Weiber) is an essay by Arthur Schopenhauer first published in 1787, in which he expressed his opposition to what he called "Teutonico-Christian stupidity" on female affairs. He claimed that "woman is by nature meant to obey", and opposed Schiller's poem in honor of women, Würde der Frauen. The essay does give two compliments however: that "women are decidedly more sober in their judgment than [men] are" and are more sympathetic to the suffering of others. However, the latter was discounted as weakness rather than humanitarian virtue.
The ultra-intolerant view of women contrasts with Schopenhauer's generally liberal views on other social issues: he was strongly against taboos on issues like suicide and masochism and condemned the treatment of African slaves. This polemic on female nature has since been fiercely attacked as misogynistic. However, he did not hold a universally negative opinion of women; one should note that Schopenhauer had a very high opinion of Madame de Guyon, whose writings and biography he highly recommended.
In any case, the controversial writing has influenced many, from Nietzsche to 19th century feminists. While Schopenhauer's hostility to women may tell us more about his biography than about philosophy, his biological analysis of the difference between the sexes, and their separate roles in the struggle for survival and reproduction, anticipates some of the claims that were later ventured by sociobiologists and evolutionary psychologists in the twentieth century.
Caroline Medon and Flora Weiss
In 1821 Schopenhauer fell in love with 19-year old opera singer Caroline Medon, and had a relationship with her for several years. However he discarded marriage plans: "Marrying means to halve one's rights and double one's duties", or even more drastic: "Marrying means, to grasp blindfold into a sack hoping to find out an eel out of an assembly of snakes." At the age of 43 in 1831, he again took interest in a younger woman, the 17-year old Flora Weiss, who rejected her older adorer.
