Question

In "Sexual Difference and Ontology" ​ by Alenka Zupancic

What is the overall purpose/thesis/point of the essay? How does the piece conceptualize of women? feminism? gender? What is your personal reaction to the piece?

Answer 1

Alenka mainly illustrates whether there is any significance in sexual differences. In his work Alenka discusses Freud’s view on sexual differences. He highlights that in the pre-adolescent period there are no sexual differences. There is only one sex in the period libido. We can not make any difference in masculine and feminine in this pre-adolescent period. If there is any question of sexual difference, then the first answer is that there is no sexual difference in original.

He also goes back to the theory of Plato and Plato says that we are unified being. There is no difference in origin. He says that at first there is unity and then there is difference.

In the thesis it is said that there is a symbolic limit is every being and this symbolic limit is the real existence. The reality is covered by a veil. It is very interesting. There is attractive veil in the women and therefore we are attracted to the women. Both men and women bear the veil. But in symbolic way there is no difference.   

To the modern men it appears that it is a good step to eradicate the gender and sexual differences. Some thinks that it is a big triumph of the feminist movement. It must engage both men and women in the equal way. In the theoretical ways it is said that there is inner force and this force is the product of the masculine libido present in every human beings.

Such a conception proves that gender is not binary. It is unified one. It also proves that sexual energy is the libidinal energy. So, we can not differentiate persons with sexuality as there is no real difference in sexuality. On the contrary, can just say them as two separate individual, not as man or woman.

Such theory also brings equality in the role of men and women. But some critics think that it may establish the dominant role of the men over women. It is a masculine effort to reduce the feminine inequality. In reality, there is biological difference and this biological difference is the main difference that makes the women less progressive. It also establishes the human value.

From this view it is evident that there are two characteristics in every human being. Both masculine and feminine qualities exist in human nature and one remains dormant when other is evident. In a male, the feminine characteristic remains dormant. In case of women, the opposite occurs.   

In spite of the advancement of human civilization, people still remain barbaric. Such barbarism is really a matter of great source of the suffering of the human beings. Even today, people still believe women as weaker sex and do not care their role in the society. But actually, there is no difference. This notion should be generated in the people’s mind.