Theos-Talk Archives (August 1997 Message tl00460)

I wrote:

>Kym wrote:

>>People will say women are inferior to men simply because they are women,

>I'm not aware of anyone who says this.  Could you give an example?

And when you give what you believe to be an example, let's agree on
two things: 1) I'll agree to have an open mind to the possibility that
you've given a real example of it if you'll agree to have an open mind
to the possibility that you have really given an example of a way in
which women really are inferior (so that, for example, someone saying
that women are weaker tennis players than men are doesn't count) and
2) let's agree that determining the difference between the two is
never completely objective, but there is always an element of doubt,
even in the most obvious cases.  

The problem with the way you worded that is that even real sexists
will never say that they believe that women are intrinsically inferior
to men.  It is always more subtle than that, and always mixed with
truth.  That's why it is so hard to detect and why care should be
taken before accusing people of it, in order for the accusation to be
effective when it is deserved.