Misogyny

Misogyny (from the Greek misos — disgust and gyne — woman) — hatred towards women, misogyny. A psychological complex characteristic of some men, expressed in contempt and hatred for the entire female sex.

The concept of misogyny has found its main application in psychoanalysis. It is believed that initially misogyny was “considered as a negative Oedipus complex, namely, as a manifestation of the fear of castration by the mother. In the future, attempts were made to more «analytical» interpretation of misogyny. For a man, she was interpreted as a reactive formation in response to an unrealizable desire to be a woman herself, for a woman — as a defense against homosexual tendencies. There is no scientific basis for such interpretations. More often, hatred of women is a form of revenge, the result of personal grievances received by a man from women, against the background of the general negativism of a particular person.

In feminism, the concept of misogyny is often unduly expanded, as a result of which any mention of circumstances where women are inferior to men is referred to as misogyny. If all women are indiscriminately accused of frivolity, inertness, lack of spiritual interests, cunning, deceit, greed, and the like, this is misogyny, but if a person justifiably and specifically speaks negatively about a particular woman, this is not misogyny. Also, stating gender traits that are common to most women, such as increased emotionality, a tendency to fear, or, for example, a desire to attract attention, do not belong to misogyny, but to the field of scientific research. The position of traditional religions, according to which a woman is equal with a man, but not equal to him, but specifically inferior to him in mind and moral qualities, is quite controversial from a scientific point of view. At the same time, even if it is not true, it cannot be classified as misogyny, since behind this position there is no hatred, but only a traditional worldview.