the Men, biased by custom, prejudice, and interest, have…
““the Men, biased by custom, prejudice, and interest, have presumed boldly to pronounce sentence in their own favour, because possession empowered them to make violence take place of justice. And the Men of our times, without trial or examination, have taken the same liberty from the report of other Men. (...) If a Man could thus divest the partiality attach'd to this self, and put on for a minute a state of neutrality, he would be able to see, and forced to acknowledge, that prejudice and precipitance are the chief causes of setting less value upon Women than Men, and giving so much greater excellence and nobility to the latter than to the former. In a word, were the Men Philosophers in the strict sense of the term, they would be able to see that nature invincibly proves a perfect equality in our sex with their own.””
About This Quote
This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.
Men’s societal power creates bias that devalues women, and true equality requires neutral, unbiased perspective.
In simple terms: Power leads to prejudice against women; equality needs fairness.
Key Takeaway
Challenge gender bias by seeking neutrality.
Themes
gender inequality
bias
justice
philosophy
Mood
critical
thought‑provoking
analytical
Type
philosophical
political
social commentary
When to use this quote
- legal reform
- educational curricula
- public policy debates
Key Concepts
equality
power dynamics
ethical reasoning
Questions to Reflect On
- What steps can individuals take to neutralize bias?
- How can societies institutionalize gender equality?
A Different Perspective
The argument assumes all men share the same bias, overlooking individual variation.