Humanism > Feminism

I accept this challenge. I will not be trying to argue that Feminism is greater than Humanism, instead I will be showing how they are equal and are essentially the same thing. First I will define terms so that we are on the same page: Feminism [1]- the advocacy of women's rights on the grounds of political, social, and economic equality to men Humanism [2]- an outlook or system of thought attaching prime importance to human rather than divine or supernatural matters. Humanist beliefs stress the potential value and goodness of human beings, emphasize common human needs, and seek solely rational ways of solving human problems. Based on these definitions, we can already see a conflict with the scope both words are used for. One, Feminism, is more of a social construct while Humanism deals with humanity on a whole in a rational way. Pro's attempt at combining the two tells me that they believe Feminism is the assertion that women should be dominate and that Humanism is the belief in equality of all humans. In order to continue the argument in a rational way, I will address their belief about feminism. Feminism was an idea built on the notion that women have not been treated equally to men for quite a long time. They tend to point towards the subjects of Economic Opportunities, Social Expectations, and Sexual Expectations. Economic Opportunities- Simply put, women have not been afforded the same economic opportunities has their male counterparts for, at the very least, several centuries. They have been expected to only perform "woman" duties such as taking care of the house, the children, and the husbands needs even above their own. The notion of a working woman without a man to support her was an outrageous idea for quite a long time, and it still exists. Many anti-feminist's try and assert that because men are on average, physically stronger, physically bigger, and practically smarter (Practical being used to mean such things as Mathematics or Physical labor), they are more equipped to work and provide income than women. Feminism seeks to get rid of this idea that women are not suited to the same jobs that men have and there have been great successes so far, but there are still areas where a man would be chosen over a woman simply because she is a woman. Physical Labor jobs, running a corporation, holding a governmental position, etc. The pay of the women that DO work in the same areas as men are often lower [3] for no other reason than because of the gender difference. Social Expectations- Socially, women are expected to be emotional, irrational, physically incompetent, small, beautiful, and accepting. The more a woman go against these expectations, the more man-like she will appear, because of the notion that the opposite qualities are reserved for men only. A woman that likes to wear hats, jeans, no make-up, sneakers, and short hair will often be called a "tom-boy" in reference to her man-like, and thus un-ladylike, appearance. Women are essentially placed into a box of expectations and are ridiculed or defeminated, if they try to step out of that box. Yes, men have their own box, but that isn't the subject of this debate. Often, you will hear men say, "A man and a woman can't be real friends like two men can, because there will eventually be sexual feelings between the two". This, along with variations of that, are an example of the stereotype that have been infused within our society, so much so that men will often act in ways that are offensive toward women without ever realizing it; such as opening doors for them or assuming that they should carry the groceries. The social aspects of sexism towards women is a constant and complex battle with many variables to consider. Sexual Expectations- On average, women are expected to be sexy and to define their outward appearance to be a pleasing sight. A woman is looked down upon if she doesn't meet the criteria set by society, resulting in women being obsessed with their beauty. A woman is considered unattractive if she is: Fatter than acceptable, more muscular than acceptable, taller than acceptable, skinnier than acceptable, shorter than acceptable, etc. The narrow definition of what society views as "beautiful" forces women to try and conform to this almost impossible standard, lest they be considered ugly and distasteful looking. The result of this have been, overall, disastrous on both the physiological and emotional levels of the average woman. Evidence for this can be found when looking at the vast array of diet plans aimed almost exclusively at women, the vast array of make-up products, of age defying products, of clothing products, and many more. Women are expected to believe that if they don't strive to meet societies criteria of beauty, they are flawed and not being very lady-like. All of this beauty obsessed culture leads to the expectations of women in the dating and sexual scene. Women are typically expected to be demure and secretive with their sexual desires, they are expected to sit back and be courted by men. They are to be the prize men win after a lengthy competition with other men and the woman should save herself for the man that wins her over. In the bedroom, she is expected to be passive and giving, subservient to her man and willing to put his needs above her own. This can be seen when you notice that men typically will try and ejaculate first without ever thinking that the woman needs a release of her own. Feminism is not women hating on men and trying to be dominant, feminism is women trying to show men how they have been mistreated and that they demand to be treated equal to men in all regards, something which women do deserve. Hopefully this will show you how your definition of humanist coincides with what feminism really is. Sure, there are women who take it too far and believe feminism is about hating and insulting men, but they are the outliers and do not represent the feminist movement as a whole. Sources: [1] http://en.wikipedia.org... [2]http://en.wikipedia.org... [3]http://www.forbes.com...