This was initially posted on November 25, 2013
The cost of “essentialism” has turn into equal to the “kiss of demise” in current feminist discussions. On this context it’s taboo to talk of Mom Earth. But, I’d argue there are good causes for talking of Mom Earth that don’t add as much as essentialism. What if the values related to motherhood are seen as the very best values? What if the picture of Mom Earth encourages all of us to acknowledge the present of life and to share the presents now we have been given with others?
For these not aware of the “essentialism” debate in feminist principle, it is perhaps helpful to outline “essentialism.” In philosophy, essentialism is the concept each “factor” has an “essence” which defines it. In its pure type, essentialism is a by-product of Platonic “idealism” which states, for instance, that the “concept” of desk is prior to each precise desk and that each precise desk is an embodiment of the thought of desk.
Aristotle disagreed with the Platonic view “approach again then,” arguing that the thought of what a desk is might be inferred from precise tables, and so forth for each “factor.” There is no such thing as a want for an concept to exist previous to the existence of something. Quite concepts assist us to call and categorize present issues. Within the 20th century “existentialism” once more challenged “essentialism,” asserting that “existence precedes essence.” Existentialism argued that free people are outlined by what they do, not by what they “are” previous to or aside from their actions.
When Whitehead mentioned that every one western philosophy might be understood as a footnote to Plato, he was referring partially to disagreements amongst philosophers in regards to the relationship of concepts to issues and existence to essence.
Within the context of feminist principle, the cost of “essentialism” is used to criticize theories which communicate of lady versus man or female versus masculine. There are two considerations right here. One is that lady or the female is being outlined in methods will inevitably prescribe and restrict girls’s roles and actions. The opposite is that lady or the female are being outlined in ways in which might describe some girls however will inevitably pass over others.
For instance, if “lady” is outlined by way of her organic capability to offer start, qualities resembling being nurturing and caring might thought-about “pure” to lady and in contrast not “pure” to man. This prescribes girls’s roles, proscribing them to motherhood, youngster care, instructing, and nursing, for instance, however excluding them from management roles in commerce or warfare.
On the similar time, such definitions of what lady’s nature is fail to do justice to the wide range of experiences that folks with feminine our bodies together with moms have. Some girls don’t have kids; some girls hate being moms and their kids keep in mind their anger and neglect greater than their care and concern; some girls should not have the posh to dedicate themselves to nurturing, however should struggle on many fronts for the survival of their kids; after which some individuals fall exterior the male-female binary altogether.
If these are the stakes, then why would anybody wish to discuss Mom Earth? Particularly when the “essentialist police” are prepared and ready to inform us that if earth is a mom, then which means earth is to be dominated and that her rape is to be anticipated.
What isn’t typically understood is that the overwhelming majority of feminist criticisms of essentialism are being produced from a place that assumes that no matter is recognized with girls or the feminine will essentially be thought-about inferior to what’s recognized with males or the male. Certainly that is what has occurred throughout patriarchy.
There’s additionally an reverse temptation: merely to show the tables and to claim that no matter is feminine or female, resembling motherhood and nurturing, is nice, whereas no matter is male or masculine, resembling for instance, assertiveness or aggressiveness, is dangerous. However because the anti-essentialists are fast to level out, which means girls can’t be assertive, and in any case, they remind us, the tables can all too simply be turned again once more.
Regardless of all of this, it appears to me that there are superb causes for talking of Mom Earth. Whereas I’d by no means wish to assert that every one girls have to be moms (I’m not) or that ladies can’t be anything than moms (I’m many different issues), I’d argue that the image of Mom Earth has nice metaphoric energy. There’s not one in every of us who could be right here if a mom (pure or surrogate) had not carried us in her physique till we have been in a position to survive exterior it. Not one in every of us would know the best way to nurture if we had not been nurtured. Not one in every of us would know the best way to love if we had not been liked. Not one in every of us would know the best way to give if we had not been given to. For many people our earliest experiences of affection and nurture have been experiences of our moms’ care and concern. This doesn’t imply that males and fathers can not even be loving and nurturing. Certainly, I’d argue that they’ll and will. However fathers don’t give us the present of life in the identical intimate bodily approach that moms do.
This is the reason the image of Mom Earth has such resonance. It’s in regards to the physicality of the present of life. The image of Mom Earth reminds us that life is a present and that we’re all interdependent within the internet of life.
A feminist track that I’ve quoted beforehand on Feminism and Faith says: “As we bless the Supply of Life, so we’re blessed.”* We are able to in fact think about the Supply of Life as male, feminine, or non-gendered. However once we think about the Supply of Life as feminine, the present of life and the Reward of Life are allowed to resonate with one another, engendering in us gratitude for the presents of life in us and the need to share them with others.
This is the reason the image of Mom Earth can and needs to be one in every of our symbols of the sacred.
Does evoking the image of Mom Earth imply that every one girls should give start? Does it imply that every one girls and solely girls might be nurturing? Fairly the opposite.
Within the matriarchal societies described by Heidi Goettner Abendroth, the values related to motherhood together with generosity and care are understood to be the very best values. They don’t seem to be only for moms however somewhat are the values girls who’ve kids and girls who don’t—and males—ought to emulate. I counsel that this needs to be our objective as nicely.
On this context Mom Earth is to not be dominated or raped, however somewhat within the phrases of one other track that’s circulating within the girls’s spirituality motion: “The Earth is our Mom, She is going to care for us. … The Earth is our Mom, we should care for Her.” Blessed be.
Music “As We Bless the Supply of Life,” by Religion Rogow.
