--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: That is why I have called feminism…" description: "\"That is why I have called feminism nihilism. It says that being a woman is nothing definite and that the duty of women is to advance that nothingness a..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/500/harvey-mansfield-52222_being-a-woman_that-is-why-i-have-called-feminism-nihil_2485168.png" --- # That is why I have called feminism nihilism. It says that… ![“That is why I have called feminism nihilism. It says that being a woman is nothing definite and that the duty of women is to advance that nothingness as a cause.” quote by Harvey Mansfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/500/harvey-mansfield-52222_being-a-woman_that-is-why-i-have-called-feminism-nihil_2485168.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/500/harvey-mansfield-52222_being-a-woman_that-is-why-i-have-called-feminism-nihil_2485168.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/500/harvey-mansfield-52222_being-a-woman_that-is-why-i-have-called-feminism-nihil_2485168.png) > “That is why I have called feminism nihilism. It says that being a woman is nothing definite and that the duty of women is to advance that nothingness as a cause.” [Harvey Mansfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harvey-mansfield/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Mansfield argues feminism reduces womanhood to an undefined concept, making its purpose to promote emptiness. **In simple terms:** Feminism, according to him, denies a fixed identity for women. Key Takeaway Question the assumptions behind feminist identity politics. Themes gender identity political theory Mood critical provocative Type philosophical controversial When to use this quote - academic lecture - activist debate - media commentary Key Concepts nihilism essentialism social constructivism Questions to Reflect On - What defines a woman's identity beyond social constructs? - Does feminism necessarily lead to nihilism? A Different Perspective His view may ignore the empowerment and agency feminism can provide. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Being a woman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/being-a-woman/) [Duty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/duty/) [Existentialism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/existentialism/) [Feminism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feminism/) [Nihilism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nihilism/) [Nothingness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nothingness/) ## Related quotes > [“There is no true femininity without sensuality. Otherwise it’s called feminism.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lebo-grand/there-is-no-true-femininity-without-sensuality-otherwise-it-s-called/) [Lebo Grand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lebo-grand/) > [When women criticize men it's called feminism. When men criticize women it's called misogyny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-prager/when-women-criticize-men-it-s-called-feminism-when-men-criticize/) [Dennis Prager](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-prager/) > [“Most of her friends owned laptops and seemed to spend more time with their phones than anything else. Steffy kept her latest playlists and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jaime-allison-parker/most-of-her-friends-owned-laptops-and-seemed-to-spend-more-time-with/) [Jaime Allison Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jaime-allison-parker/) > [Courage is impulsive; it is narcissism tempered with nihilism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayelet-waldman/courage-is-impulsive-it-is-narcissism-tempered-with-nihilism/) [Ayelet Waldman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayelet-waldman/) > [“Filming a scene, there are countless takes of the same incident. Someone watching in the street - obviously a provincial - can't get over…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emil-m-cioran/filming-a-scene-there-are-countless-takes-of-the-same-incident/) [Emil M. Cioran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emil-m-cioran/) > [“Where you come from is gone, where you thought you were going to never was there, and where you are is no good unless…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/flannery-o-connor/where-you-come-from-is-gone-where-you-thought-you-were-going-to-never/) [Flannery O'Connor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/flannery-o-connor/) > [That is the most extreme form of nihilism: nothingness (the "meaningless") eternally!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/that-is-the-most-extreme-form-of-nihilism-nothingness-the-meaningless/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [The Sexual Revolution is a complete rebellion against authority, natural and supernatural, even against the body and its needs, its natural functions of child…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-day/the-sexual-revolution-is-a-complete-rebellion-against-authority/) [Dorothy Day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-day/) > [The Universe will now be set right. Made over to fit my unique view of what should be. Let Nihilism reign supreme!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-starlin/the-universe-will-now-be-set-right-made-over-to-fit-my-unique-view-of/) [Jim Starlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-starlin/) > [“You know, Dag and Claire smile a lot, as do many people I know. But I always wondered if there is something either mechanical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-coupland/you-know-dag-and-claire-smile-a-lot-as-do-many-people-i-know-but-i/) [Douglas Coupland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-coupland/) > [“The idea that we are to be absorbed into the Deity is Gnostic in its origins and is quite antithetical to Christianity." ~R. Alan…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-alan-woods/the-idea-that-we-are-to-be-absorbed-into-the-deity-is-gnostic-in-its/) [R. Alan Woods](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-alan-woods/) > [When it comes to explaining human thought and behavior, the possibility that heredity plays any role at all still has the power to shock.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-pinker/when-it-comes-to-explaining-human-thought-and-behavior-the/) [Steven Pinker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-pinker/) > [If critics and fanboys weren't suckers for simplistic nihilism and high-pressure marketing, Afterlife would be universally acclaimed as a visionary feat, superior to Inception…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/armond-white/if-critics-and-fanboys-weren-t-suckers-for-simplistic-nihilism-and/) [Armond White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/armond-white/) > [I teach you beyond Man (superman). Man is something that shall be surpassed. What have you done to surpass him?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/i-teach-you-beyond-man-superman-man-is-something-that-shall-be/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [The Only cure for nihilism is for liberal democratic societies - their electorates, their judiciary, and their political leadership- to insist that force is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-ignatieff/the-only-cure-for-nihilism-is-for-liberal-democratic-societies-their/) [Michael Ignatieff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-ignatieff/) ## More by Harvey Mansfield > [We are in the process of making the English language gender-neutral, and manliness, the quality of one gender, or rather, of one sex, seems…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harvey-mansfield/we-are-in-the-process-of-making-the-english-language-gender-neutral/) [Harvey Mansfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harvey-mansfield/) > [“Political philosophy reaches for the best regime, a regime so good that it can hardly exist. Political science advances a theory—in fact, a number…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harvey-mansfield/political-philosophy-reaches-for-the-best-regime-a-regime-so-good/) [Harvey Mansfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harvey-mansfield/) > [“Masculinity must prove itself, and do so before an audience.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harvey-mansfield/masculinity-must-prove-itself-and-do-so-before-an-audience/) [Harvey Mansfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harvey-mansfield/) > [We have now an American political party and a European one. Not all Americans who vote for the European party want to become Europeans.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harvey-mansfield/we-have-now-an-american-political-party-and-a-european-one-not-all/) [Harvey Mansfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harvey-mansfield/) > [“One could understand feminism generally as an attack on woman as she was under “patriarchy” (that concept is a social construction of feminism). The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harvey-mansfield/one-could-understand-feminism-generally-as-an-attack-on-woman-as-she/) [Harvey Mansfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harvey-mansfield/) > [Christopher Lynch has made the best and the first careful translation of Machiavelli's Art of War. With useful notes, an excellent introduction, an interpretive…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harvey-mansfield/christopher-lynch-has-made-the-best-and-the-first-careful-translation/) [Harvey Mansfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harvey-mansfield/) [Explore all 7 Harvey Mansfield quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harvey-mansfield/) ## More Being a woman quotes > [Forget the credit, they (male actors) take all the money as well. We don't get paid even one-third of what male actors get. It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kangana-ranaut/forget-the-credit-they-male-actors-take-all-the-money-as-well-we-don/) [Kangana Ranaut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kangana-ranaut/) > [In life, something from everything will leave a mark on your heart. It might be happiness, lamentations, or both. Memories will make you the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/myself/in-life-something-from-everything-will-leave-a-mark-on-your-heart-it/) Myself > [I have said no such thing.i am only resolved to act in a way that will enhance my happiness'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/axll-sblns/i-have-said-no-such-thing-i-am-only-resolved-to-act-in-a-way-that/) AXLL\_SBLNS > [One nice thing about being a woman in Hollywood is that the women tend to be very close-knit. All of us writers and directors…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diablo-cody/one-nice-thing-about-being-a-woman-in-hollywood-is-that-the-women/) [Diablo Cody](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diablo-cody/) > [I don't claim to be a good woman, but I do claim to be good at being a woman.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzanne/i-don-t-claim-to-be-a-good-woman-but-i-do-claim-to-be-good-at-being-a/) Suzanne > [I think loads of women have this idea that their life is going to start at some point, once they've busted all these problems…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caitlin-moran/i-think-loads-of-women-have-this-idea-that-their-life-is-going-to/) [Caitlin Moran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caitlin-moran/) > [You're not insulting my character. Being a woman, especially in this business, it's so thrilling to get to do that. It's so rare, especially…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keri-russell/you-re-not-insulting-my-character-being-a-woman-especially-in-this/) [Keri Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keri-russell/) > [According to the Western model, pregnancy is a disease, menopause is a disease, and even getting pregnant is a disease. Dangerous drugs and devices…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-seaman/according-to-the-western-model-pregnancy-is-a-disease-menopause-is-a/) Barbara Seaman > [A woman with a voice is by definition a strong woman. But the search to find that voice can be remarkably difficult.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melinda-gates/a-woman-with-a-voice-is-by-definition-a-strong-woman-but-the-search/) [Melinda Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melinda-gates/) > [A woman's place isn't above her man or beneath her man it's beside her man.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sonya-parker/a-woman-s-place-isn-t-above-her-man-or-beneath-her-man-it-s-beside/) [SONYA PARKER](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sonya-parker/) > [Being a woman is interesting, but it shouldn’t stop you from being a person.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mildred-h-mcafee/being-a-woman-is-interesting-but-it-shouldn-t-stop-you-from-being-a/) Mildred H. McAfee > [This is a movement to say we're more than just our dresses. ... It's hard being a woman in Hollywood or any industry.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reese-witherspoon/this-is-a-movement-to-say-we-re-more-than-just-our-dresses-it-s-hard/) [Reese Witherspoon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reese-witherspoon/) > [Be the kind of man you'd like your son to become, the kind of man you would love your daughter to marry for life.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/be-the-kind-of-man-you-d-like-your-son-to-become-the-kind-of-man-you/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The saddest thing in the world is when two people, who at one time knew everything about one another, act like strangers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/farahjayne809/the-saddest-thing-in-the-world-is-when-two-people-who-at-one-time/) Farahjayne809 > [“Breastfeeding is a beautiful thing, one of the most beautiful things that exist in nature. Think about how a woman can literally feed her…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-joybell-c/breastfeeding-is-a-beautiful-thing-one-of-the-most-beautiful-things/) [C. JoyBell C](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-joybell-c/) [Browse all 433 Being a woman quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/being-a-woman/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "That is why I have called feminism nihilism. It says that being a woman is nothing definite and that the duty of women is to advance that nothingness as a cause.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Harvey Mansfield" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harvey-mansfield/that-is-why-i-have-called-feminism-nihilism-it-says-that-being-a/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Being a woman" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harvey-mansfield/that-is-why-i-have-called-feminism-nihilism-it-says-that-being-a/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/500/harvey-mansfield-52222_being-a-woman_that-is-why-i-have-called-feminism-nihil_2485168.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/500/harvey-mansfield-52222_being-a-woman_that-is-why-i-have-called-feminism-nihil_2485168.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/500/harvey-mansfield-52222_being-a-woman_that-is-why-i-have-called-feminism-nihil_2485168.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“That is why I have called feminism nihilism. It says that being a woman is nothing definite and that the…” — Harvey Mansfield", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Harvey Mansfield", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harvey-mansfield/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "That is why I have called...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harvey-mansfield/that-is-why-i-have-called-feminism-nihilism-it-says-that-being-a/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harvey-mansfield/that-is-why-i-have-called-feminism-nihilism-it-says-that-being-a/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```