Otto Weininger: mizogin i profeminista?

Abstract

Otto Weininger, Viennese philosopher from the turn of XIX and XX century, is the author of the book Sex and character which revolutionised scientific and artistic milieus of his epoch. It became one of the most popular scientific work exploring the nature of femininity and masculinity. However, Sex and character not only influenced James Joyce and August Strindberg works or Ludwig Wittgenstain’s philosophy. It also inspired a number of feminist critiques to explore and analyse antifeminism and misogyny characteristic for Weininger and the whole fin de siècle epoch. Nonetheless, aside undoubted misogyny, Weininger’s analyses and ideas regarding the position of women in the society, might be interpreted as rather progressive and can be comparable with (pro)feminist movements’ claims. Therefore, the main aim of this paper is to investigate to what extend Weininger’s work expresses his misogynous approach but also, to what extend his ideas can be defined as profeminist.

Keywords

• emancipation of women
• profeminism
• antifeminism
• misogyny
• Otto Weininger