Comments on: “Women’s Brains” by Stephen Jay Gould

By: Mollie

Mollie — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 18:52:49 +0000

My first reaction is that this man is looking at a bias aspect of history. Sparta had women very high in society, in charge of government and social aspects. The Bible, which he would have been culturally aware of, has many women who play key roles in society and government. ALl major European nations had Queens that ruled government, religion, and society. I think Gould uses this quote to introduce the bias of Broca in everything. I wold respond to him by bringing him to Egypt to see Cleopatra’s empire.

By: ape36

ape36 — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 18:44:51 +0000

It is true that prejudice women have faced isn’t because women are less intelligent, it is because people think women are less intelligent than men. It isn’t women’s nature to have “blundering lives.”

By: Mollie

Mollie — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 18:41:10 +0000

M initial reaction to this quote is that it is completely unscientific. He’s making a claim based on research that he did on do and data he does not have. This quote is not even a conclusion based on hypotheses, it is a claim. I think Gould uses this quote to show Broca’s ridiculous superiority complex, bias, and unscientific conclusions. I would probably tell all of that to Broca, and then teach him calculous.

By: Mollie

Mollie — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 18:37:43 +0000

By initial reaction is that I was certainly not created inferior by “the Supreme Power” I think Gold uses this quote to introduce that there is no scientific way yet to prove that women are inferior: it’s all merely speculation. I would respond to this person by counting to four.

By: Virginia

Virginia — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 18:36:54 +0000

L. Manouvrier understood that numbers, when misinterpreted, cannot be used to prove anything. It is ridiculous that theologians even questioned whether or not women have souls, even though this could be caused by the story of Adam and Eve, that represented women as weaker in morals.

By: G

Fri, 16 Jan 2009 18:36:25 +0000

edublogs is judgemental

I liked the contrast between Manouvrier and Broca here. M. wrote with a definite emotion and feeling; he backed up his claims with pathos. He talks about the effects of the “numbers” of Broca on the egos of the women – “These numbers fell upon poor women like a sledge hammer,” he said. I think that Gould used this quote to provide a contrast between the strong opinions that this topic elicits.

By: Jacob

Jacob — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 18:36:04 +0000

I think this quote is amusing because it shows what may at some point have been considered a “liberal” view. However, this author is just basically pulling random ideas out of the air and trying to use them to justify his prejudice. However, in reality this “scientific” theory makes very little sense.

By: Ryan

Ryan — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 18:35:49 +0000

So, pretty much the taller you are the more intelligent you are. If only I was Yao Ming…

By: Sam Cole

Sam Cole — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 18:35:32 +0000

I think that this quote makes the mistake of assuming that there is a worldwide conception that every male in the world believes women are useless. I think that it could be used, however, to set the tone for the kind of argument she is going to be making later on in the writing piece. I would have to say to this person, that although this quote is a little bit extreme, there is some truth behind it, and the problem is very well worded.

By: Kyla

Kyla — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 18:35:17 +0000

This quote shows the extremities of what men have thought through out history. The only audience which would percieve this as true would be misogynists or sexists. This quote is used to show how absurd these beliefs were.