Spinoza en vrouwen

[Reactie op Vrouwendiscriminatie en heksenjacht in tijden van spanning.]

Of het spinozisme de gelijkheidwaardigheid tussen vrouwen en mannen bepleit, weet ik niet.

We kunnen wel nagaan hoe Spinoza erover dacht.

Spinoza in Engelse vertaling:

“If by nature women were equal to men, and were equally distinguished by force of character and ability, in which human power and therefore human right chiefly consist; surely among nations so many and different some would be found, where both sexes rule alike, and others, where men are ruled by women, and so brought up, that they can make less use of their abilities. And since this is nowhere the case, one may assert with perfect propriety, that women have not by nature equal right with men (Political Treatise, ch XI.)”

Het naturalisme van Spinoza leidt wel eens tot een “might is right” redenatie.