--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Feminism as a movement for political and…" description: "\"Feminism as a movement for political and social equity is important, but feminism as an academic clique committed to eccentric doctrines about human na..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2c9/steven-pinker-526_academic_feminism-as-a-movement-for-political-and_2039576.jpg" --- # Feminism as a movement for political and social equity is… ![“Feminism as a movement for political and social equity is important, but feminism as an academic clique committed to eccentric doctrines about human nature is not. Eliminating discrimination against women is important, but believing that women and men are born with indistinguishable minds is not…” quote by Steven Pinker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2c9/steven-pinker-526_academic_feminism-as-a-movement-for-political-and_2039576.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2c9/steven-pinker-526_academic_feminism-as-a-movement-for-political-and_2039576.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2c9/steven-pinker-526_academic_feminism-as-a-movement-for-political-and_2039576.jpg) > “Feminism as a movement for political and social equity is important, but feminism as an academic clique committed to eccentric doctrines about human nature is not. Eliminating discrimination against women is important, but believing that women and men are born with indistinguishable minds is not. Freedom of choice is important, but ensuring that women make up exactly 50 percent of all professions is not. And eliminating sexual assaults is important, but advancing the theory that rapists are doing their part in a vast male conspiracy is not.” [Steven Pinker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-pinker/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote distinguishes between genuine equality goals and extreme, rigid doctrines that can undermine those goals. **In simple terms:** Supports equality but warns against dogmatic extremes. Key Takeaway Seek balanced, evidence‑based equality. Themes equality politics academia gender extremism Mood critical analytical concerned Type philosophical political social. When to use this quote - policy making - education reform - workplace diversity - public discourse Key Concepts social justice human nature policy ideology Questions to Reflect On - How can we promote equity without imposing rigid quotas? - What evidence supports flexible approaches to gender differences? A Different Perspective Overemphasis on quotas can create new injustices. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Academic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/academic/) [Assault](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/assault/) [Choices](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/choices/) [Clique](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/clique/) [Conspiracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conspiracy/) [Discrimination](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/discrimination/) [Doctrine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doctrine/) [Eccentric](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/eccentric/) [Equity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/equity/) [Feminism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feminism/) [Freedom of choice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freedom-of-choice/) [Human nature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/human-nature/) [Humans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humans/) [Justice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/justice/) [Males](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/males/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Men and women](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men-and-women/) [Mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mind/) [Movement](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/movement/) [Political](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/political/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [Profession](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/profession/) [Social](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/social/) ## Related quotes > [It's very important for feminism for us to tell our daughters that they should be strong. But to tell our sons that they can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chloe-zhao/it-s-very-important-for-feminism-for-us-to-tell-our-daughters-that/) [Chloe Zhao](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chloe-zhao/) > [We think of feminism as an academic subject, but it's not. If you think feminism is academic, you think there's a right or wrong.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caitlin-moran/we-think-of-feminism-as-an-academic-subject-but-it-s-not-if-you-think/) [Caitlin Moran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caitlin-moran/) > [Feminism is a movement to end sexism, sexist exploitation, and oppression.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bell-hooks/feminism-is-a-movement-to-end-sexism-sexist-exploitation-and/) [Bell Hooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bell-hooks/) > [“Feminist politics is losing momentum because feminist movement has lost clear definitions. We have those definitions. Let's reclaim them. We can share the simple…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bell-hooks/feminist-politics-is-losing-momentum-because-feminist-movement-has/) [bell hooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bell-hooks/) > [When women turn on women, and take cheap shots at their decisions purely to score political points it serves as proof that feminism, as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/when-women-turn-on-women-and-take-cheap-shots-at-their-decisions/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Simply put, feminism is a movement to end sexism, sexist exploitation, and oppression. This was a definition of feminism I offered in Feminist Theory:…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bell-hooks/simply-put-feminism-is-a-movement-to-end-sexism-sexist-exploitation/) [Bell Hooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bell-hooks/) > [For me, feminism is a movement for which the end goal is to make itself no longer needed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chimamanda-ngozi-adichie/for-me-feminism-is-a-movement-for-which-the-end-goal-is-to-make/) [Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chimamanda-ngozi-adichie/) > [Every discrimination against women in the constitutions and laws of the several States is today null and void, precisely as in every one against…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-b-anthony/every-discrimination-against-women-in-the-constitutions-and-laws-of/) [Susan B. Anthony](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-b-anthony/) > [Now, since I'm a husband and father, discrimination against women isn't just political, it's personal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warren-farrell/now-since-i-m-a-husband-and-father-discrimination-against-women-isn-t/) [Warren Farrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warren-farrell/) > [I live in a war zone. I would never have imagined 37 years ago when I started practicing law that there would still be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gloria-allred/i-live-in-a-war-zone-i-would-never-have-imagined-37-years-ago-when-i/) [Gloria Allred](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gloria-allred/) > [We need to put an end to discrimination against women, and the power to bring about this change lies in our hands.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shruti-haasan/we-need-to-put-an-end-to-discrimination-against-women-and-the-power/) [Shruti Haasan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shruti-haasan/) > [Freedom from discrimination for women, ensuring that female children can learn to read, these are human needs for half the human race, not western…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-robinson/freedom-from-discrimination-for-women-ensuring-that-female-children/) [Mary Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-robinson/) > [Is there discrimination against women? Yes. There's no denying that the old boys' network is alive and well. But there's also discrimination against men.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warren-farrell/is-there-discrimination-against-women-yes-there-s-no-denying-that-the/) [Warren Farrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warren-farrell/) > [We have been suckered into believing that, because there are more men at the top than women at the top, that this is a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warren-farrell/we-have-been-suckered-into-believing-that-because-there-are-more-men/) [Warren Farrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warren-farrell/) > [We have restricted humans from giving 'free' food to bears and dolphins because we know that such feeding would make them dependent and lead…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warren-farrell/we-have-restricted-humans-from-giving-free-food-to-bears-and-dolphins/) [Warren Farrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warren-farrell/) ## More by Steven Pinker > [Forcing modern speakers of English to not - whoops, not to split an infinitive because it isn't done in Latin makes about as much…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-pinker/forcing-modern-speakers-of-english-to-not-whoops-not-to-split-an/) [Steven Pinker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-pinker/) > [Consistent style prevents presentation from getting in the way of content.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-pinker/consistent-style-prevents-presentation-from-getting-in-the-way-of/) [Steven Pinker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-pinker/) > [The supposedly immaterial soul, we now know, can be bisected with a knife, altered by chemicals, started or stopped by electricity, and extinguished by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-pinker/the-supposedly-immaterial-soul-we-now-know-can-be-bisected-with-a/) [Steven Pinker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-pinker/) > [I've never argued that humans are massively hot-wired. What I was trying to point out was that you can't understand how we learn unless…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-pinker/i-ve-never-argued-that-humans-are-massively-hot-wired-what-i-was/) [Steven Pinker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-pinker/) > [As many political writers have pointed out, commitment to political equality is not an empirical claim that people are clones.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-pinker/as-many-political-writers-have-pointed-out-commitment-to-political/) [Steven Pinker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-pinker/) > [Since violence is largely a male pastime, cultures that empower women tend to move away from the glorification of violence and are less likely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-pinker/since-violence-is-largely-a-male-pastime-cultures-that-empower-women/) [Steven Pinker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-pinker/) > [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/) > [Morality is not just any old topic in psychology but close to our conception of the meaning of life. Moral goodness is what gives…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-pinker/morality-is-not-just-any-old-topic-in-psychology-but-close-to-our/) [Steven Pinker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-pinker/) > [“The biblical story of the binding of Isaac shows that human sacrifice was far from unthinkable in the 1st millennium BCE. The Israelites boasted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-pinker/the-biblical-story-of-the-binding-of-isaac-shows-that-human-sacrifice/) [Steven Pinker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-pinker/) > [Part of the bargain of being alive is that one takes a chance at dying a premature or painful death, be it from violence,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-pinker/part-of-the-bargain-of-being-alive-is-that-one-takes-a-chance-at/) [Steven Pinker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-pinker/) > [In fact, without a specification of a creature's goals, the very idea of intelligence is meaningless. A toadstool could be given a genius award…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-pinker/in-fact-without-a-specification-of-a-creature-s-goals-the-very-idea/) [Steven Pinker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-pinker/) > [“The obvious cure for the tragic shortcomings of human intuition in a high-tech world is education. And this offers priorities for educational policy: to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-pinker/the-obvious-cure-for-the-tragic-shortcomings-of-human-intuition-in-a/) [Steven Pinker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-pinker/) > [If you look in general at people who live in anarchy, they have quite high rates of death from either homicide or warfare or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-pinker/if-you-look-in-general-at-people-who-live-in-anarchy-they-have-quite/) [Steven Pinker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-pinker/) > [“In some eras, self-control defines the paragon of a decent person: a grown-up, a person of dignity, a lady or a gentleman, a mensch.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-pinker/in-some-eras-self-control-defines-the-paragon-of-a-decent-person-a/) [Steven Pinker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-pinker/) > [Knowledge is a continuous fabric, in which ideas are connected to other ideas. Reason-free zones, in which people can assert arbitrary beliefs safe from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-pinker/knowledge-is-a-continuous-fabric-in-which-ideas-are-connected-to/) [Steven Pinker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-pinker/) [Explore all 495 Steven Pinker quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-pinker/) ## More Academic quotes > [When I went to college, as much as my parents emphasized academic achievement, they emphasized marriage even more. They told me that the most…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheryl-sandberg/when-i-went-to-college-as-much-as-my-parents-emphasized-academic/) [Sheryl Sandberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheryl-sandberg/) > [Instead of explaining the sober facts of mechanics and electricity, I want to say a few words about the debt which we owe to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/felix-bloch/instead-of-explaining-the-sober-facts-of-mechanics-and-electricity-i/) [Felix Bloch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/felix-bloch/) > [The Carnegie Foundation is well aware of the fact that their reports frequently find their way to dusty archives in academic institutions, but occasionally…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-everett-koop/the-carnegie-foundation-is-well-aware-of-the-fact-that-their-reports/) [C. Everett Koop](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-everett-koop/) > [Marx, however imperfectly he worked out the details, set himself the task of discovering the law of motion of capitalism, and if there is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-robinson/marx-however-imperfectly-he-worked-out-the-details-set-himself-the/) [Joan Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-robinson/) > [Now know I well what people sought formerly above all else when they sought Teachers of virtue. Good sleep they sought for themselves, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/now-know-i-well-what-people-sought-formerly-above-all-else-when-they/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [Because my graduate academic training at law school was not one that included most of the intellectual traditions I find useful for understanding the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-spade/because-my-graduate-academic-training-at-law-school-was-not-one-that/) [Dean Spade](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-spade/) > [An academic discipline, or any other semiotic domain, for that matter, is not primarily content, in the sense of facts and principles. It is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-paul-gee/an-academic-discipline-or-any-other-semiotic-domain-for-that-matter/) [James Paul Gee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-paul-gee/) > [“In the end, ethical interpretation of the Bible means to think critically about how our practices of textual engagement might help us to become…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-brueggemann/in-the-end-ethical-interpretation-of-the-bible-means-to-think/) [Walter Brueggemann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-brueggemann/) > [Perhaps art criticism cannot be reformed in a logical sense because it was never well-formed in the first place. Art criticism has long been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-elkins/perhaps-art-criticism-cannot-be-reformed-in-a-logical-sense-because/) [James Elkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-elkins/) > [And I'm the first one to tell people to break the rules. But you can only break the rules once you know what the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-gunn/and-i-m-the-first-one-to-tell-people-to-break-the-rules-but-you-can/) [Tim Gunn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-gunn/) > [Nietzsche's ideas and plans: for example, the idea of giving up the whole wretched academic world to form a secular monastic community.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-jaspers/nietzsche-s-ideas-and-plans-for-example-the-idea-of-giving-up-the/) [Karl Jaspers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-jaspers/) > [Quality afterschool programs provide safe, engaging and fun learning experiences to help children and youth develop their social, emotional, physical, cultural and academic skills.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/debbie-stabenow/quality-afterschool-programs-provide-safe-engaging-and-fun-learning/) [Debbie Stabenow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/debbie-stabenow/) > [The unary Photograph has every reason to be banal, 'unity' of composition being the first rule of vulgar (and notably, of academic) rhetoric: 'The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roland-barthes/the-unary-photograph-has-every-reason-to-be-banal-unity-of/) [Roland Barthes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roland-barthes/) > [Doctoral training is devoted almost entirely to learning to do research, even though most Ph.Ds who enter academic life spend far more time teaching…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/derek-bok/doctoral-training-is-devoted-almost-entirely-to-learning-to-do/) [Derek Bok](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/derek-bok/) > [I am not an academic who happens to have written a novel. I am a novelist who happens to be quite good academically.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-s-byatt-2/i-am-not-an-academic-who-happens-to-have-written-a-novel-i-am-a/) [A. S. Byatt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-s-byatt-2/) [Browse all 958 Academic quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/academic/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Feminism as a movement for political and social equity is important, but feminism as an academic clique committed to eccentric doctrines about human nature is not. Eliminating discrimination against women is important, but believing that women and men are born with indistinguishable minds is not. Freedom of choice is important, but ensuring that women make up exactly 50 percent of all professions is not. And eliminating sexual assaults is important, but advancing the theory that rapists are doing their part in a vast male conspiracy is not.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Steven Pinker" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-pinker/feminism-as-a-movement-for-political-and-social-equity-is-important/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Academic" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-pinker/feminism-as-a-movement-for-political-and-social-equity-is-important/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2c9/steven-pinker-526_academic_feminism-as-a-movement-for-political-and_2039576.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2c9/steven-pinker-526_academic_feminism-as-a-movement-for-political-and_2039576.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2c9/steven-pinker-526_academic_feminism-as-a-movement-for-political-and_2039576.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Feminism as a movement for political and social equity is important, but feminism as an academic clique…” — Steven Pinker", "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": "Steven Pinker", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-pinker/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Feminism as a movement for political...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-pinker/feminism-as-a-movement-for-political-and-social-equity-is-important/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-pinker/feminism-as-a-movement-for-political-and-social-equity-is-important/#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 } } ] } ```