Introduction
The concept behind feminism appears to be an innovation of the socialists’ school of thought in terms of emergence. It is certainly the fact that the revolution that came with feminism and natural rights was integral to the development of the socialists school of thought and the moment in which rubber met the road subject of the social contract theory. It is therefore important while studying from the course book, the emergence of natural rights and feminism to consider the concept of gender equality, the struggle for suffrage and the mandate of heaven before striking a balance with political philosophy and Simone De Beauvoir’s socialist philosophy.
Natural rights and feminism
With emergence of the social contract theory and the implementation of the same, it was just a matter of time before the concept of feminism emerged. This was so imminent bearing in mind the fact that the social contract introduced a concept in which individual citizens submitted full authority to the government in exchange for an assurance that their right. This was the only residuary authority they retained and it would be protected from infringement. Indeed it was crystal that women’s rights did not form part of theses residuary rights and therefore the impending demand for recognition in Rousseau’s social contract. Hence, the innovation of the social contract theory focused on women, as was moved by American women such as Susan Anthony and Elizabeth Cady among others (Mitchell, 2014, p. 371). This innovation therefore emerged in phases until its maturity.
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Gender Equality
The bedrock and the premise to the emergence of feminism alongside natural rights was the concept of gender equality that can be traced to one of the earliest feminists Mary Wollstonecraft. Indeed, she adopted John Locke’s perceptions on empiricism and Rousseau’s social contract theory but with innovation to those schools of thought. Basing her arguments on Plato’s postulations that the two genders, the masculine and feminine gender, were only different in terms of physical appearance, body structure and biological genetic composition, she put forward her thesis. To that effect, she assumed the position that by virtue of both men and women being human beings, and the fact that neither is precluded from rationality by virtue of their differing physical composition, both deserve equal treatment and entitlement towards the same natural rights, if at all any are inherent to human beings (Mitchell, 2014, p. 372). These were sentiments she registered while lamenting on the inequality witnessed in the eighteenth century when children of the masculine gender enjoyed the full benefits of education while their feminine counterparts only lasted in school before they were withdrawn from schools and relegated to their respective homes for the rest of their lives.
It is also on this note that other individuals such as Stanton emerged with the mission to create awareness among women of the natural rights that are inherent to them, which they are entitled to (Mitchell, 2014, p. 374). This came at a point in history when such personalities could identify that women were denied rights to which they were entitled. Nevertheless, women were precluded from coming to such realization since they were subjected to low levels of education. Such oppression had become so commonplace that none of them found it alien. In this regard, Stanton and Susan Anthony were able to go round educating women on the concept of inherent rights before making comparative analysis to slaves and colonists. This was done with a view to make them comprehend that they are entitled to these rights arguing that if they are denied those rights, it makes them no different from slaves (Mitchell, 2014, p. 374).
The Struggle for Suffrage
A major advancement into the emergence of feminism and natural rights was the Nineteenth Amendment that declared that women should not be precluded from voting based on their gender. This was attributed to the struggles of individuals such as Susan Anthony, who was once prosecuted before the United States Courts for attempting to cast a vote in a federal election (Mitchell, 2014, p. 374). In her defence, she claimed that denying her the liberty to determine the individuals who govern her as a citizen relegated her from the position of being a citizen to that of a subject especially in such a democracy as the United States. She made a comparative analysis that made her similar to a slave or a subject of the British colonialists. Indeed, such sentiments as registered in The United States of America v Susan B. Anthony became a landmark into the liberation of women into exercising their right to vote as American citizens from 1920.
The Mandate of Heaven
A comparative analysis is struck between the political philosophy in China and the emergence of empiricism and natural rights vis-à-vis feminism and the right to property. In the political philosophy of China, an allusion is established to justify the rule of the emperor in China according to the wishes of the people subject to the mandate donated from heaven. Failure to observe the supernatural rule of law in the royal family led to the loss of power whih was vested in them (Mitchell, 2014, p. 380). The political philosophy in China clearly manifests the concept of natural rights that individuals and subjects or citizens are entitled to. Furthermore, natural rights come from supernatural beliefs that it is a mandated from heaven rather than the works of rational thought, skepticism and inherent rights to humanity. In the same vein, Confucius made declarations, which showed well-governed countries shunning poverty as opposed to poorly governed countries, which had a large wealth difference. As a result, it was a natural occurrence for the emergence of females’ natural and proprietary rights. The denial of such a right would relegate the feminine gender to poverty, a trait in which a well-governed country in the Free World may not want to associate itself with
Socialist Philosophy of Simone De Beauvoir
Simone’s socialist perspective and the advancement of the second sex ideology has been the premise upon which feminists have been drawn into studying the concept behind gender while distinguishing it from sex. It is in this regard that he claims that ‘one is not born a woman’ but rather is defined to be a woman by the society in which they are born and the roles they are relegated to. It is on this premises that Simone developed the ideology on the second sex founded on his socialists’ advancements.
Simone argues feminism from a historical and philosophical context establishing a political revolution in a move that seeks to accord women equal protection before law and equal rights in government as their masculine counterparts. Here, she advocated for the existence of a woman as a feminine soul of independent gender, but that, which is equal to the masculine gender. This was the alternative to the previous depiction of a woman as a sub-gender of the masculine gender.
It is on her philosophical postulations that there emerges different groups of feminists divisive in terms of the equality feminism and the difference feminism hence an impending impasse over the two ideologies and the tenets they advocate for (Vintges, 1999). The most essential thesis that she advances in her second sex ideology is the resentment that women had. They were previously demeaned and relegated to a secondary place in comparison to their male counterparts. In this regard, she attributes the perception that the woman is inessential in the society yet is postulated as a slave. In addition, she emulates a philosophical framework that distinguishes the concept of the woman as a subject to the masculine gender and as another gender to the masculine gender. Herein, she distinguished that the subject is being completely submissive to the masculine gender. On the other hand, being the other sex means that the woman becomes an absolute and independent soul void of subordination to the masculine gender.
Personal perspective and rationale
In my personal view, the concept of feminism vis-à-vis natural rights appears to be a definite innovation into the social contract theory extending the natural rights equally to both men and women. This advancement was equally fair as the concept of empiricism was to revolting against absolute monarchy. Based on skeptical rationalism, it is quite evident that women by virtue of their gender are not precluded from being rational as men were. In the same vein, such demeaned irrationality would be attributed to the segregated educational system that women were subjected to. It is in this regard that women, if afforded equal opportunities to men, would exhibit the same rationality as their masculine counterparts. Hence, they deserve an equal platform in terms of the natural rights that are extended to men in the social contract; this exists despite the physical differences that the two manifest.
However, it is prudent to consider the emerging impasse regarding the equality feminists and the difference feminists. The division these two ideologies create a genuine concern over what feminism is all about; whether it is about exalting women to the position of men or creating a distinct gender that is equally as good and catered for as the masculine gender.
References
Mitchell, H. B. (2014). Roots of Wisdom: A Tapestry of Philosophical Traditions. New York: Nelson Education.
Vintges, K. (1999). Simone de Beauvoir: A feminist thinker for our times. Hypatia, 14(4) , 133-144.
