mark224 wrote:
First, for the argument about feminism and what it's meant to mean, there's this.
(can't link so will have to cut and paste)
Quote:
Appeal to Definition*
(also known as: appeal to the dictionary)
Definition: Using a dictionary’s limited definition of a term as evidence that term cannot have another meaning, expanded meaning, or even conflicting meaning. This is a fallacy because dictionaries don’t reason; they simply are a reflection of an abbreviated version of the current accepted usage of a term, as determined through argumentation and eventual acceptance. In short, dictionaries tell you what a word meant, according to the authors, at the time of its writing, not what it meant before that time, after, or what it should mean.
Dictionary meanings are usually concise, and lack the depth found in an encyclopedia; therefore, terms found in dictionaries are often incomplete when it comes to helping people to gain a full understanding of the term.
I would say that the only feminists im attracted to are the women that embody feminism without actually needing the movement. Genuinely strong women. Not women that are still trying to be strong and need a crutch. Which is how i see self described feminists. So no, i wouldn't date a feminist because they're idiots, but i would definitely date the kind of women that feminists are trying and failing to be.
Well, it's Feminist's I see identify strongly with the textbook definition of it.
Besides, as limited as definitions are, they are one thing that all language is - communication, and a form of message.
Obviously, 'Gender Equality Activist', as 'limiting' as it may be, is far more liberal for interpretation than 'Feminist'. Unless you actually believe someone who calls themselves a Feminist could just as likely be a Gender equality activist than someone who actually calls themselves a gender equality activist.
Which one may give a clearer message as to what your goals are, if indeed your goals are 'gender equality'?
That's like saying someone who says they are black, is just as white as someone who says they are white. Maybe they are partially, yeah, maybe some distant relative, but for simple purposes they're going to appeal to definition.
It's just basic English - to call something what it is, not what it may or could be.
It's a little hard to see Feminist's caring about men's rights at all if it's against the words definition. I'm sorry if I adhere to a logical fallacy and explicit communication rather than implicit communication.
We are aspies after all, and I thought it was natural most of us identify things by what they are, not what they 'could be'.