Philosophy of Feminism

What is Feminism?

Feminism is a school of thought that is based on the belief that women are oppressed by society and considered inferior and that this oppression is unfair and illegitimate. It is the philosophy that all people deserve to be treated as equal and for that, some upliftment of oppressed groups is required.

What was Feminism?

When this school of thought was established, it was primarily based on the upliftment of women and they began the “Feminist Movement” in order to help women obtain the same rights and opportunities as that of men. For example, the right to vote, right to equal opportunities etc.

What is Feminism now?

Over time, feminism has evolved. There are several issues that feminists all over the world target that include their primary purpose to end misogyny. Feminism as a genuine doctrine has developed to include a fight against several prevalent issues that include racism, homophobia, transphobia, ableism, domestic violence to name a few.

There are several alternative doctrines that don’t target all the said issues but still claim to be feminism. These doctrines are often labelled to be pseudo-feminism as in the opinion of several people they go against the very basis of equality and fair treatment of people.

There is a popular subcategory of Feminism called Intersectional Feminism that has been created is the belief that the combination of people’s political and social identities create different types of privilege and discrimination. This is by far the most accurate definition and framework of why Feminism is necessary in today’s world.

Lastly, Feminism is not an “Anti-Men” movement. Just because women and other oppressed groups have something to gain does not mean men have something to lose. If people really think they have something to lose when feminist movements succeed it simply validates the very belief that equality does not exist in society. There is no law in nature that proves that anyone is inferior as a human being. There is no law of nature that should be turned into a social construct that results in people not being treated with the decency and respect that they deserve.

By Ananya Zharotia