WTF, Proudhon?

[luzula]

FRTDNEATJ, I was browsing "What Is Property?", by Pierre-Joseph Proudhon, an early 19th century socialist and anarchist (he's the one who said that property is theft). He's in the middle of a passage about equality and how you can only get a society of equals among members of the same species (not between man and animal, or between man and God), and then comes something hidden away in a little footnote:

Between woman and man there may exist love, passion, ties of custom, and the like; but there is no real society. Man and woman are not companions. The difference of the sexes places a barrier between them, like that placed between animals by a difference of race. Consequently, far from advocating what is now called the emancipation of woman, I should incline, rather, if there were no other alternative, to exclude her from society.

*boggles* Yeah, I don't even know what to say. Living in the 19th century is not an excuse--Emma Goldman would KICK his ASS.

Comments

[jesse_the_k]

In fact, she *did* kick his ass, thank you very much.

For a bigger giggle try Clara Zetkin on Lenin on the Woman Question by Engels. Or rather, don't. (I was a flag waving Marxist-Leninist back in the day). She breathlessly describes the thinker under review:

Lenin listened attentively, his body inclined forward slightly, following, without a trace of boredom, impatience or weariness, even incidental matters.

[luzula]

In fact, she *did* kick his ass, thank you very much.

I'd love to think that she literally might have, but he seems to have died before she was born.

Lenin listened attentively, his body inclined forward slightly, following, without a trace of boredom, impatience or weariness, even incidental matters.

Ahaha, her descriptions of Lenin.

Also, I've probably said this before, but I love that icon!

[jesse_the_k]

But given these folks were all about Making History Dance, I'd say Emma will be remembered with appreciation and a smile. In particular, this attitude:

begin quote I did not believe that a Cause which stood for a beautiful ideal, for anarchism, for release and freedom from conventions and prejudice, should demand the denial of life and joy. quote ends

shall, I hope, outlive, Lenin's martial certainties.

Ta re icon. It turns out to be useful in a wide range of contexts :,)

[luzula]

Emma Goldman = awesome. I've read her autobiography, and I found it fascinating. I first read the Swedish translation, which is abridged, and I was so into it that I was all mad when they skipped parts. I bought the English version in a leftist bookstore in Seattle when I was at Bitching Party, actually, but I haven't read it yet.