The Less Noble Sex: Scientific, Religious, and Philosophical Conceptions of Woman's NatureThis book looks at five major beliefs about woman's nature generally accepted by Western philosophers, theologians, and scientists from the classical period to the nineteenth century. These are that: woman is less perfect than man, woman possesses inferior rational capacities, woman has a defective moral sense, man is the primary creative force, and that woman is in need of control. |
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Page 18
Given the persistence of the image of woman as less perfect than man within
Christianity , it is reasonable to expect this view to have a strong influence upon
Western scientific theories . And this is indeed what we find . A clear indication of
this ...
Given the persistence of the image of woman as less perfect than man within
Christianity , it is reasonable to expect this view to have a strong influence upon
Western scientific theories . And this is indeed what we find . A clear indication of
this ...
Page 99
... excitable temperament . . . morose , taciturn , wayward , fidgety , and impatient ,
frequently manifesting a certain nervous irritability bordering on hysteria . " 37
Given this , an imbalance of the menstrual functions was sure to bring on insanity
.
... excitable temperament . . . morose , taciturn , wayward , fidgety , and impatient ,
frequently manifesting a certain nervous irritability bordering on hysteria . " 37
Given this , an imbalance of the menstrual functions was sure to bring on insanity
.
Page 125
... gave her primarily external ornaments . Only Athena ' s skills and Aphrodite ' s
grace and passion add to Pandora ' s basic nature . The rest — her clothes and
jewels — are merely finery that will , at best , augment the beauty given to her ...
... gave her primarily external ornaments . Only Athena ' s skills and Aphrodite ' s
grace and passion add to Pandora ' s basic nature . The rest — her clothes and
jewels — are merely finery that will , at best , augment the beauty given to her ...
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The less noble sex: scientific, religious, and philosophical conceptions of woman's nature
User Review - Not Available - Book VerdictTuana, a professor of the history of ideas, discusses classical through late 19th-century ideas of women, showing how scientific views and religious or philosophical views have influenced and ... Read full review
Contents
Between Man and Animal | 1 |
The Weaker Vessel | 51 |
The Hysteria of Woman | 93 |
Copyright | |
5 other sections not shown
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Common terms and phrases
abilities accepted According alchemical alchemists animal argued Aristotle Aristotle's attempt become believed biology birth blood body brain cause century child Christian claimed classical complex conception concerning concluded contained continued created creation creative defect desires differences discussion divine earth emotions energy equal evolution example existence explained fact faculties father female force Genesis given gives gods greater heat human husband hysteria Ibid important individual inferior influence insisted intellectual lack less lines male man's mental metaphor metaphysical mind moral mother myth nature nineteenth-century offered organs original passions perfect Philo philosophers physical placed Plato position possess principle produced provides race rational reason reproduction result role rule scientific scientists seed seen semen sense sexual skull social soul stage superior theorists theory thought tradition turn universe uterus woman woman's nature womb women Zeus
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Bibliographic information
| Title | The Less Noble Sex: Scientific, Religious, and Philosophical Conceptions of Woman's Nature Issue 112 of ISSR library Indiana Series in Arab and Islamic Studies Race, gender, and science |
| Author | Nancy Tuana |
| Contributor | International Society for Science and Religion |
| Edition | illustrated, reprint |
| Publisher | Indiana University Press, 1993 |
| ISBN | 0253360986, 9780253360984 |
| Length | 224 pages |
| Export Citation | BiBTeX EndNote RefMan |