Hypatia; or, Woman and Knowledge

Abstract

A first chapter takes Jason and Medea as emblematic figures to ask ‘Is there a Sex War?’ Yes, during the Suffragette campaign. It was brought to a truce only by being overshadowed by the First World War, and the granting of the vote to woman (though only those over 30). Takes issue with the anti-feminist volume Lysistrata; or, women’s future and future woman by Anthony Ludovici. Chapter II, ‘Artemis,’ charts the early struggles of feminism; and how the liberating fact of women’s education was perforce in the hands of unmarried women, often opposed to sex and marriage as inimical to women’s freedom. Russell urges contemporary feminists not to disparage such views, since without them the rights to voting and education would not have been won. Chapter III, ‘Aspasia,’ turns to the younger feminists, arguing that in a society which makes married women give up careers, it is unsurprising that modern feminists choose over marriage not spinsterhood but free love. Especially during the war, women acknowledged, acted upon, and accepted their own desires, and this represents a fundamental change, breaking the time-honored association between carnal knowledge and sin. Russell advocates educating women now about their bodies and their sexuality. Chapter IV, ‘Hecuba,’ discusses feminist mothers, extending the argument in favor of education to include birth control as well as reproduction. Working mothers should be paid for their work as mothers, and receive what Russell calls an ‘endowment’ from the community—effectively paid maternity leave. The chapter ‘Jason and Admetus’ contrasts two male types, the active and the intellectual. Russell concludes that philosophy and sex are more important in politics than General Elections; that men too need to be educated to understand what women want; and that relationships should be conceived as involving both minds and bodies.

Cite this work

No public copy is stored for this record, so only the metadata is cited.

Stored only when both papers are in the corpus — 53 citations exist upstream.