Feminism Quote by John Fowles
““Men love war because it allows them to look serious. Because they imagine it is the one thing that stops women laughing at them. In it they can reduce women to the status of objects. That is the great distinction between the sexes. Men see objects, women see relationship between objects. Whether the objects love each other, need each other, match each other. It is an extra dimension of feeling we men are without and one that makes war abhorrent to all real women - and absurd. I will tell you what war is. War is a psychosis caused by an inability to see relationships. Our relationship with our fellow-men. Our relationship with our economic and historical situation. And above all our relationship to nothingness. To death.””
About This Quote
Source Novel: The French Lieutenant’s Woman, 1969
War is portrayed as a collective psychosis stemming from an inability to perceive relational interdependence, reducing others to objects and ignoring deeper connections.
In simple terms: War shows how seeing only objects, not relationships, leads to madness.
Key Takeaway
Recognize and value relationships to avoid destructive conflict.
Themes
war
psychology
gender
relationships
meaninglessness
Mood
critical
thoughtful
analytical
Type
philosophical
critical
analytical
When to use this quote
- military leadership
- gender studies
- personal reflection
- conflict resolution
- philosophical debate
Key Concepts
objectification
psychosis
existentialism
masculinity
Questions to Reflect On
- How do you perceive relationships in conflict?
- What role does gender play in shaping attitudes toward war?
A Different Perspective
The view may oversimplify complex geopolitical causes of war.
