Second Sexism

David Benatar is Professor of Philosophy at the University of Cape Town. He is the author of Better Never to Have Been: The Harm of Coming into Existence (2006).

“I recommend The Second Sexism to scholars who investigate gender relations, and I urge academic feminists to take Benatar’s thesis seriously and to respond to it with respect rather than with disbelief or derision.”  (American Philosophical Association's Newsletter on Feminism and Philosophy, 1 May 2013)“This book simply must be read . . . . Highly, highly recommended.”  (Mens News Daily, 4 January 2013)“The Second Sexismis well researched, with voluminous references. As such, it serves the useful function of raising consciousness about an important social issue. Benatar’s research makes a strong case for an in-depth examination of the injustices and discriminations that men suffer in this and other societies in the 21st century.”  (PsycINFO/PsycCRITIQUES, 21 November 2012)“The Second Sexism is a strong and early step on the way to the awareness, amelioration, and treatment of a widespread and unaddressed problem that affects a not insignificant portion of the human population.”  (New Male Studies Review 3, Jonathan Badiali's, 26 September 2012) “Benatar’s analysis brings much needed clarity to contemporary debates in gender studies, whose discourse runs the risk of becoming stagnant and dogmatic against a constantly changing social backdrop. Benatar does well to remind us that it is not only females who are constrained and disadvantaged by the roles that they have been socially encouraged to take up.”  (New Male Studies Review 2, J.P. Messina's, 26 September 2012)“And now, thanks to Professor Benatar, we have an incisive, comprehensive discussion of the phenomenon that feminism has unwittingly brought to the forefront . . . The writing is jargon-free. As a philosopher, Professor Benatar is attentive to conceptual nuance and clear, precise usage.”  (New Male Studies Review 1, Miles Groth's, 26 September 2012)“This is a very well-argued book that presents an unorthodox thesis and defends it ably.  It would be a useful text in both undergraduate and graduate courses in philosophy and gender studies, where it is certain to arouse a lot of discussion, much of it excited.  Since it is very clearly written, and would be interesting and accessible also to the educated layperson.  Most importantly, however, it is likely to change our understanding of gender relations.”  (Metapsychology, 21 August 2012)

• Preface x 1 Introduction 1What Is the Second Sexism? 1Disadvantage 2Discrimination 3Wrongful discrimination 3Sexism 5The First Sexism 12Two Kinds of Denialist 13Forestalling Some Fallacies 16Structure and Method of the Book 182 Male Disadvantage 25Conscription and Combat 26Violence 30Corporal Punishment 33Sexual Assault 36Circumcision 41Education 46Family and Other Relationships 50Custody 50Paternity 51Paternity leave 53Homosexuals 54Bodily Privacy 54Life Expectancy 57Imprisonment and Capital Punishment 59Conclusion 613 Explaining Male Disadvantage and Thinking about Sex Differences 77Beliefs about Males 77Questions about the Beliefs 84To what extent, if at all, are the beliefs true? 85What makes the beliefs true? 89What, if any, implications are there? 93Conclusion 964 From Disadvantage to Wrongful Discrimination 101Conscription and Combat 102Kingsley Browne’s basic argument 103“Slippage” 104Military effectiveness 106Dangers of conservatism 109Statistical differences 113Final thoughts on combat and conscription 121Violence 122“The perpetrators are men” 123“Men are better able to defend themselves” 124“Men pose a greater threat” 125Two kinds of discrimination 127Corporal Punishment 128“Males are more badly behaved” 128“Corporal punishment is not as damaging to males” 129Sexual Assault 132Circumcision 134Education 135Family and Other Relationships 137Bodily Privacy 142“Women have a greater interest in bodily privacy than do men” 143“The conditions are different” 145Equal employment opportunity 148Life Expectancy 152Imprisonment and Capital Punishment 155Conclusion 1635 Responding to Objections 173The Inversion Argument 174Conscription and combat 175Violence 179Circumcision 182Education 183Sexual assault 185Bodily privacy 186Custody 188Life expectancy 189Imprisonment 193The Costs-of-Dominance Argument 194The Distraction Argument 199Defining Discrimination 2026 Affirmative Action 212Rectifying Injustice 215The past discrimination argument 216The present discrimination argument 218Lessons from “Summers School” 225Consequentialist Arguments 228The viewpoint diversity argument 228The role-model argument 229The legitimate-sex-preference argument 231The ideal argument 232Conclusion 2337 Conclusion 239Does Feminism Discriminate against Men? 239Are Men Worse off than Women? 246Taking the Second Sexism Seriously 254Conclusion 259Bibliography 266Index 285