top of page

Why Sexism Is Wrong Logically

Updated: Sep 12


Safe from discrimination, specifically!

(For extra material on the subject, click here)

(For another type of prejucide I find irrelevant on Philosocom, click here)


2023 Note: Remember, even I, may be wrong. I never claimed omniscience. After realizing I was practicing sexual transmutation for the sake of Philosocom, I officially renounce my claims as asexual.


*************************


Sexist thought is prejudice against people based on their sex, and assumes it to be true. It does not have to be against women exclusively, and it can even be used in a "positive" context as well.


For example, the "gentleman" archetype is often seen as a positive thing. A gentleman is someone who opens doors for women, lays his coat in the mud so that a woman doesn't dirty her shoes, and always pays the full price in a restaurant. He is seen as noble and courteous because of the assumption that this is how a proper man should behave.


However, this is also sexist. According to sexist philosophies, men and women have different, objective roles in society that define them. The more a person fits into this stereotyped role, based on their sex, the more they might be seen as manly or feminine. It really is that simple.

I purposefully started with this point in the article to show you my desire to be unbiased. It is obvious to me that sexism has a negative side as well. How can it not be obvious to me when women have been the victims of such prejudice for thousands of years? I do not have an agenda in this to promote a viewpoint of mine. My point is to clarify reality, as a philosopher should.


In truth, when I speak to people, online or offline, their gender does not matter to me. It does not matter to me because men and women are more than their sexes. They are, first and foremost, individuals with thoughts and personalities of their own. Women aren't more irrational than men, just because they are women, and I don't think men are much more into sports because they are men.


How come? I have spoken with women who are as rational as anyone else is, and I am aware that anyone can be into sports. You may say that men are naturally stronger than women, yes? But I'm not sure if you are aware of the fact that anyone who is physically capable can become a bodybuilder. I sure can't, in my condition, and I'm a man.


I am not a feminist because I disagree with the very term that is used. To desire gender equality is to not take gender that close to heart. Why? Simple. Making distinctions based on gender is sexist, whether it's done negatively or positively. It's just like the example I presented at the beginning of this missive.


By the way, the same logic applies to race. I don't care that I'm white, and your race or nationality does not really matter to me when it comes to individuals. Yes, I may speak of specific countries and regions of the planet, but that does not mean I accept the notion that we are entirely a product of these backgrounds. We are more, for we are, at the root of it all, different individuals.


I know my analytics. I write to people across the globe. Your gender, or lack thereof, is irrelevant to me. I'm a philosopher; I am occupied with reason. I am not an expert on men or women. I strive to look at things mainly from a logical perspective.


It does not mean I know everything, and it does not mean I am the gatekeeper of truth. A good philosopher would not gatekeep others. He or she would share their findings and would not really mind the fallacies that lie within the human element.


I have no desire to gatekeep my thoughts from a specific demographic. I personally am not fond of psychopaths, for example, but it's just a personal preference. I do not think all psychopaths are cartoonishly evil, because I do not want to resort to generalizations.


Do you know where generalizations exist? In sexist philosophies. It is, in fact, a variant of a fallacy called the Hasty Generalization fallacy. If I'm correct, a hasty generalization is a product of induction. Of concluding on the general, based on individual examples... Even if said examples number in the hundreds or thousands. Please keep in mind that we are billions.


When you see countless women who are weaker than you physically, and you're a man, perhaps you will jump to the conclusion that women are always weaker. If you've seen people of average height thus far, then you might deny the fact that there are extremely tall people -- even women -- just like there are people whose height is less than a meter (adults).


Sexism is wrong, logically, for the same reason any generalization is wrong, dear readers: there are exceptions. Even in theory. Do you believe that the desire to procreate is embedded in all human beings? There are genuine asexuals out there, and there are genuine people who do not want to have families for whatever reason. You're reading the words of such an example right over here.

Now, perhaps there are functions that are certainly exclusive to distinct sexes. You might say that women cannot grow facial hair, but I've seen an example. A rare condition, possibly hormonal imbalance. Perhaps males cannot get pregnant, but male seahorses certainly can (look it up yourself).


We do not have knowledge about every human that has ever lived. Why? Because events can be lost in history. It's one of the reasons we can't know everything! In other words, perhaps there were male humans that had the capacity to get pregnant, but we never got to know them! Our knowledge of the past is never absolute, and maybe it never will be.


(We don't have full knowledge of the future, either. It could mean that we are not fully aware of the human biological potential).


And it does not contradict the fact that some women might never be able to have children anyway. Does it mean they are male? Does it mean they are necessarily masculine? Of course not...


It is not necessarily the role of men to provide for their families when women can work and earn even more. It is not universally the role of women to tend to their families when men can be househusbands as well, and be good at it, too.


Who said skirts are exclusively feminine? Ever heard of Roman soldiers? I think their uniform looks masculine, at least. Are business suits exclusively masculine? Not all business suits were made with men in mind.


Since reality is dynamic, our beliefs should also be dynamic if we are interested in better understanding reality. I think that is the best reasoning I can give against sexism and against generalizations in general. Even if I believed in superstitions, I would still believe that not all black cats bring bad luck.


87 views0 comments

Tomasio A. Rubinshtein, Philosocom's Founder & Writer

I am a philosopher from Israel, author of several books in 2 languages, and Quora's Top Writer of the year 2018. I'm also a semi-hermit who has decided to dedicate his life to writing and sharing my articles across the globe. Several podcasts on me, as well as a radio interview, have been made since my career as a writer. More information about me can be found here.

צילום מסך 2023-11-02 202752.png
bottom of page