It is actually astonishing that the concept of patriarchy is still used so much, especially in academia. It’s not the same as saying it’s typically men who have power (which is often true in a political sense), but it’s saying men (as a group) have the power.
This ignores women’s contributions and influence on society. For example, people blame gender roles on the patriarchy but they also exist in matriarchies. Gender roles, unfortunately, develop naturally. For example, people see that men typically are stronger physically, this leads to the idea that men are stronger and eventually to the idea that they should never show weakness. Both men and women contribute to this idea and both enforce it. The concept often substitutes description for explanation. Naming a pattern “patriarchy” does not explain how or why it emerged.
A lot of what feminists call “patriarchy” is stuff that *they* do. They push the idea that men are sexual predators, they’re emotionless, they’re not worthy of empathy, they’re less valuable and vulnerable, etc. They make fun of men that don’t live up to standards of masculinity. At this point, what’s the difference between them and the patriarchy? They are the so called patriarchy. Harmful male behaviour is attributed to male agency. Harmful female behaviour is also attributed to patriarchal conditioning. Their is an asymmetry in agency.
The falsifiability principle. This states that a theory must be testable and capable of being proven false to be considered meaningful. The patriarchy could be anything. You could point to anything and claim it’s the patriarchy. You can use the patriarchy to explain anything. But what actually is it? If it could be anything, it might as well be nothing. If men succeed, it’s the patriarchy. If women succeed, the patriarchy is adapting itself or allowing “exceptional women”. When men face issues, it’s “the patriarchy harms men too”.
What evidence, real or not, could ever actually disprove the existence of the patriarchy?
Circular arguments:
Assume society is patriarchal.
Observe gender difference.
Conclude the difference was caused by patriarchy.
Use the difference as proof patriarchy exists.
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