RE: gender: Judith Butler's pseudo materialism and culturalfeminism.(fwd

But can an "ACCURATE NOTION OF HUMAN NATURE" be constructed?  I think this
is the question put forth, not whether gender inequality is part of it or
not.  Or are we to define 'human nature' negatively by what it is not, i.e.
gender inequality is not part of it?  Doug seems to ask, "isn't all of
'human nature' a social construction, including gender?"  Will there ever be
an answer?  Some anthropologists and sociologists seem to argue that there
are some basic urges (e.g. hunger) and capacities (e.g. for language), but
that's about it.   Is this an accurate notion of human nature?  Or are these
concepts of what may constitute human nature a social construct?
elson
> -----Original Message-----
> From: owner-wsn@csf.colorado.edu [mailto:owner-wsn@csf.colorado.edu]On
> Behalf Of md7148@cnsvax.albany.edu
> Sent: Monday, March 20, 2000 3:28 PM
> To: WORLD SYSTEMS NETWORK
> Subject: Re: gender: Judith Butler's pseudo materialism and cultural
> feminism.(fwd)
>
>
>
> Read the rest of my post. i said that "gender inequality is not built into
> human nature". gender is a social product just as private property is a
> social invention. This is what i meant by accurate notion of human nature.
> If you think human nature is sexist and capitalist by definition,
> beleive it so. Since i don't believe..
>
> human nature is not essence either or is something to have access to. it
> develops with society as social. Also remember Marx' concept of human
> nature as species being and his concept of social nature..I don't wanna
> reiterate Economic and Philosophical manuscripts and German Ideology...
>
> I have got to go back...
>
>
> Mine
>
>  ---------- Forwarded message ----------
> Date: Mon, 20 Mar 2000 17:31:56 -0500
> From: Doug Henwood <dhenwood@panix.com>
> To: WORLD SYSTEMS NETWORK <wsn@csf.colorado.edu>
> Subject: Re: gender: Judith Butler's pseudo materialism and
> cultural feminism. (fwd)
>
> md7148@cnsvax.albany.edu wrote:
>
> >The bottom line is that we MUST HAVE AN ACCURATE NOTION OF HUMAN
> NATURE TO
> >BE ABLE TO HAVE AN ACCURATE UNDERSTANDING OF GENDER RELATIONS.
>
> How do you know when you've found an "accurate notion of human
> nature"? You have some access to "human nature" beyond
> social/discursive constructions of it?
>
> Doug
>