Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!ncar!ames!elroy.jpl.nasa.gov!aero!geb@cadre.dsl.pitt.edu
From: geb@cadre.dsl.pitt.edu (Gordon E. Banks)
Newsgroups: soc.feminism
Subject: Re: sex/gender
Message-ID: <3178@cadre.dsl.PITTSBURGH.EDU>
Date: 31 Jul 89 23:15:03 GMT
References: <8907071844.AA10158@cattell.psych.upenn.edu> <10546@polya.Stanford.EDU> <12869@bloom-beacon.MIT.EDU> <43073@bbn.COM> <3115@cadre.dsl.PITTSBURGH.EDU> <13095@bloom-beacon.MIT.EDU>
Sender: nadel@aerospace.aero.org
Reply-To: elroy!ames!cadre.dsl.pitt.edu!geb (Gordon E. Banks)
Organization: Decision Systems Lab., Univ. of Pittsburgh, PA.
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Status: R

In article <13095@bloom-beacon.MIT.EDU> rshapiro@BBN.COM (Richard Shapiro) writes:
>deduction when it's shakiness becomes apparent.  I'd like to know
>explicitly: are these animal studies relevant to feminism or aren't
>they? If so, why?
>
Yes, I believe they are relevant.  Since human behavior is a
manifestation of the functioning of the human brain (just as
animal behavior is a product of animal brains) if we are truly
to understand the reasons behind such behavior, we have to
understand the brain.  This is not to say that human behavior
is fixed and determined.  It is clear that there is great
variety among humans of different cultures, and that the
environmental influences on behavior are very great, but
there are definitely constraints and limits to such influences.  Feminism
is concerned with human behavior (that of men toward women, women toward
men, and women toward women).  Seeking to explain the patterns we observe 
through history and among various cultures through an abstract ideal philosophy
without reference to our neurobiology will surely hinder feminists
in the attainment of lasting changes in society resulting in the
liberation of women and the improvement of society through greater
relative feminine influence.  Too often, I believe, feminists have
sought to assess moral blame rather than delve into the reasons for
the inequities.