Oppression Of Women By Mills And Engels

Both Mills and Marx/Engels focus on the oppression of women and their liberation from the subordination women experience. Mill’s arguments oppose women’s oppression through utilitarianism. Mill’s argues that the subjection of women hinders their progress as humans and puts them at a road block for success. Mill’s also discusses the idea of legal equality between men and women and acknowledges that the parliament needs to face their fears of allowing equal power to women. The power dynamics that oppress women can be changed through a system of school of obedience in equality. In addition, Marx and Engels share similar views when it comes to the oppression of women. Marx argues a different approach for liberation that embraces the elimination …show more content…
A women’s inferiority in muscular strength accompanied the subordination of the entire female sex that led to an illegitimate subordination of women. However, the rule of men over women differs from other rulings because “men do not desire their obedience but their sentiments”. Men desire women to be subordinate to them and this falls under a woman's social role of nurturance. Mill’s points out that women spend their lives nurturing and caring for others, but spend very little time caring for themselves. In a capitalist society woman must only adhere to the needs and desires of their husbands and children and show affection towards their immediate loved ones. Consequently, women are socially trained to understand that marriage is their true ambition. Mills and Marx both agree that marriage is in essence the slavery of women to men and is a response to capitalism which results in the objectification of women. This objectification developed through marriage can be abolished through equal education of young children in order to influence a more balanced and loving world. A modeling of this equal relationship by the parents of the children can help to influence this love and obedience in order to instill it into the future