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PARTISAN REVIEW
aga inst femini sm because in their opinion the ba ttl e of the sexes is of
subordina te importance and onl y d istracts from rea l revo luti onary
goals. Opinion , as a lways, is d ivided here, too. T he femini st-ri ghtl y,
in my vi ew-insist th at soc ia l change in th e d irecti on o f g rea ter
humanity must be p receded by a change in the rela ti on o f the sexes.
It
is
no doubt true tha t without libera ti on from socia l, economi c, and
famil y oppress ion there can o nl y be emancipa ti on fo r a few select
women. But we must admit tha t a las ting change, not onl y of woman 's
pos ition but of soc ia l va lues in genera l, will onl y be achi eved when
women develop a critical di stance from thi s man-made culture and
arrive a t a better understanding o f the precise na ture of their own
fema le development.
Ignazio Silone
1900-1978
