Am I A Feminist?

There have been some pretty stupid things said about feminism, from feminists. It's impressive, really. On the other hand, there have also been some pretty smart things said about feminism, from feminists. It's a bit polarizing, so I want to know, am I feminist?

It's difficult to tell because from my readings and conversations with feminists, there doesn't seem to be a well defined set of qualities or criteria. In fact, some definitions are contrary to each other or just plain incoherent.

There was the International Congress of Women over a hundred years ago. There they decided the most pressing declaration to make was that, "the adult woman is the equal of the adult man." Is this what makes one a feminist? If so, it ought not be so controversial. Of course women are equal to men, but then it is equally true that men are equal to women, but those who phrase it that way aren't called "masculinists." How many women do you see declaring themselves masculinists? Not many. So, it's trivial and arbitrary in this case. 

Besides, considering the context, this may have been saying something about the political situation at the time, and not to any metaphysical disparity. But then say there comes a point, if we are not there already, that men and women do have the same political rights. Can anyone call themselves a feminist? No, not really. Besides, as I have written before, you don't want to call yourself a feminist in that case anyways. 

Here's what Susan James says,

Feminism is grounded on the belief that women are oppressed or disadvantaged by comparison with men, and that their oppression is in some way illegitimate or unjustified. Under the umbrella of this general characterization there are, however, many interpretations of women and their oppression, so that it is a mistake to think of feminism as a single philosophical doctrine, or as implying an agreed political program.

This is uninteresting. Let's say, as some do, that a woman, enslaved to her biology, is stuck doing housework and raising children and so suffers injustice because she isn't allowed the working success of men. Consider then that there are women who argue that defining success in such terms wrongly defines it. Rather, the upbringing and rearing of children, a job naturally belonging to women, is the greatest privlidge. I cannot satisfy both qualifications of justice and injustice. That feminism would allow these two contradictory view makes feminism as such too vague and hardly meaningful. It must define what those injustices are. It is like the libertarian who believes in human rights, but refuses to define who a human is, thus allowing abortion, the very opposite of human rights.

Sure, there have been feminist philosophers who have detailed the injustices, real or imagined, but you can't approach these problems as a feminist because that's what we're trying to define in the first place. So, it might be the case that in some situations I'm a feminist, and in others, I am not. Just like in some cases, I am hungry, and in others, I am not. But like hunger, just because I am not hungry doesn't mean I am against food. I love food. I love women. Interesting fact: I want to marry a woman. Maybe not right now, but someday, and I'm for it. 

This leads me to a different term, introduced to me by my friend Devanie. I'm not a feminist, in the sense that I subscribe to the view that women suffer an injustice. What I am for is an authentic female, or an authentic womanhood. This entails a realist view of the sexes, that there is a real sense in which I, as a man, can never be a woman. There is a metaphysical gap between us. This excludes the silly idea that men can become women or women can become men merely because one mutilated their body. If sex were just a social construct, then there is no real difference between men and women, and so is meaningless to call oneself a feminine or masculine. So, if you're a woman, I fully support that you become the best woman you can be. And I would hope that since I am a man, you support me in being the best type of man I can be. It is wonderful that you are a woman and that I am a man. We each have our own goods, and we ought to cultivate those goods and encourage each other for those goods. It is good that you can be a mother, which I can never be. It is good that I can be a father, which you can never be.

If, due to your status as a man or a woman, you are denied a particular right, then this is a violation of realizing your authentic nature, and so is unjust, but it doesn't violate manhood or womanhood, but there mere personhood, for personhood has an authentic manhood and womanhood, as expressed in Genesis. 

So, the term feminist is too confused. I am not a feminist, though I will admit, I am very often confused! But I am for an authentic manhood and womanhood.