Research On Irigaray's Sexual Difference Theory

As the core discourse and symbolic symbols of feminist academics for more than half a century,this paper summarizes “Irigaray's Sexual Difference Theory”,in order to focus on reflecting the attributes of theory of Irigaray and grasp its core and key point of feminism.The feminist theory of Difference has played an important role in the process of Western Feminism from the second wave to the third wave,which cannot be avoided and neglected in contemporary research on feminism.Based on the gender difference,this theory systematically explores the issues of the times such as the two subjects,gender equality,female culture,gender harmony,and even pluralistic harmony,which constitute the third wave of dominant ideological trend.This theory is quite different,and has produced great influence in the world.Therefore,woman's studies in China should also pay adequate attention to it.For the moment,there are four points in collecting,studying,and interpreting Irigaray's Difference Theory of feminism: the first is to follow the the most cutting-edge information on the development of feminist theory,the second is to understand and explain the contemporary feminist theme of the times,the third is to consider and explore the solutions to contemporary feminist issues,and the fourth is to review and remedy deep-seated misunderstanding or prejudice of feminism.Therefore,this paper is based on the theme of “The Analysis of Irigaray's Difference Theory of feminism”,which is divided into six chapters to conduct thematic discussion.This paper attempts to deeply analyze the formation,its essence,characteristics and main ideas of feminism,and tries to give an independent review and reflection on the subject,so as to enrich the materials and superficial findings for the research on feminism in China.Chapter One,This paper discusses from sex-antagonism to the debut of Difference Theory,and analyzes the Theory from polarization to intermediary,and explains the inner logic and inevitability from affirmation to negation.This paper expounds the theory of patriarchy and the actual situation,and analyzes the patriarchy in psychoanalysis,reflects the patriarchy in the philosophical ideology,and criticizes the patriarchy in the actual social order.The paper expounds the feminist theory and its orientation,analyzes the feminist's interpretation of gender antagonism.The paper denies the extreme equality rights,single subject,absolute female culture and others;analyzes the perception of gender equality of feminist,and denies radical political equality;rethinks feminist's attitudes towards the prospect of gender relations,and denies negative orientations and psychological and cognitive roots.The paper describes the debut of Difference Theory,and its importance.The emergence of this theory is is the publication of the book “The Ethics of Gender Difference”,which is an inevitable result of transcending patriarchy and feminism;its importance is its central position in its own theoretical system,which is prominent in the entire feminist theory and schools,and it deserves the standing in interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary globalization.Chapter Two,This paper discusses the true meaning of the Difference Theory and the direction of its thinking.It also analyzes the basic connotation and characteristics of the Theory on feminism.The basic meaning of gender difference is expounded in this paper,which includes gender physiology/body differences,gender psychological/ temperament differences,gender social differences,and gender cultural differences.This paper expounds the characteristics of gender difference,which is objective,historical,specific,and relativistic.The paper also points out the direction of its thinking,including the reflections of he paradox of feminist theory(that is,the feminist's single subject,absolute equality,absolute female culture etc.);gender confronts reality(that is,the “binary opposition” caused by feminism and patriarchy,and the conflict and confrontation in social politics);Social and political trends(that is,the fact that gender relations and gender equality tend to be coordinated,tolerant and harmonious under the background of relaxation of class relations after World War II);the prospects of feminist development(that is,individuals and groups depend on each other,respectfor objective differences,gender “ peers ” and multicultural harmonious development.Chapter Three,This paper discusses the relationship between the Difference Theory and the two subjects,analyses the differences between feminism and the two subjects,especially for the female subject.This paper argues that both patriarchy and feminism are non-subjects.This part includes the criticism to patriarchal subject,pointing out that the non-subjectivity,injustice,and non-progression of patriarchy lie in the possession?controlling,oppression and the domination of woman's personality,which has a long history and tradition,and also deeply rooted in the real society;This part also includes a reflection to the feminist subject,revealing that the essence of the feminist subject is the same as that of the patriarchy subject,which is extreme and irrational,and tries to possess the other subject.This violates the natural order and natural ethics of gender existence and development,and also violates the development of history and social justice.Chapter Four,This paper discusses the relationship between the Difference Theory and gender equality,and probes into the concept of relative equality in feminist theory of Difference.This paper exposes the deviation of patriarchy and feminism to gender equality.The patriarchy intentionally ignores the gender differences and denies the female subject and their rights,advocating patriarchal despotism;the feminist,similarly,deliberately ignores gender equality,regardless of the nest relationship between social context and gender.A grip on all rights implies an abandonment of all rights,which indicates the lack of self-confidence and self-respect of feminist.This paper explains the true meaning of gender equality.It includes the gender equality of the subjects in identity,namely the equality between the two subjects,the relative subjects,the difference subjects,and the historic subjects,particularly,women should go out of their misunderstandings and break through the dilemma of binary opposition and gender conflict,and go back to the track of the main body construction and strive for relative equality;it includes gender equality in the fundamentalrights,namely,the seven fundamental rights described in the Difference Theory,whereas actually men enjoy and occupy more than their part of the social rights,which are the most unreasonable rights distorted by the system and shall be changed through constant reform;it includes gender equality in the consciousness,that is,the two subjects can know each other correctly,while women do not regard all men as patriarchal advocates and they know how to love themselves,and they can be independent;it also includes gender equality in family roles and relationships,namely,the division of labor and responsibilities of the two subjects in the family,however,absolute equality in the private sphere is absurd,and there is no difference between absolute equality and despotism.The paper describes the right way to pursue gender equality.This requires women to pursue equality based on their own actual conditions,objectively evaluate themselves,find suitable social positions for themselves,engage in work that suits them,and exert their own unique values;based on their own gender advantages,women need to pursue equality through their own advantages,deepen the social value of identity,further establish its main consciousness,and acquire gender equality in self-reliance and independent;women should seek for equality through the way of complementary(sometimes means to give up something),recognize the differences between the two sexes in an objective way,abandon those pursuits that are unsuitable for women in the use of advantages,and do not deliberately encroach upon the unique rights of men;women should also pursue equality in a dynamic development,revise the ideological and policy deficiencies in the dynamic social development,instead of letting others to relinquish their own position,and women should come out of the subordinate position on their own initiative and consciously.This paper expounds the criterion of gender equality in reality,corrects five kinds of misunderstandings about women emancipation and feminism,stipulates seven basic rights that women must possess,and points out implementation criterion of relative equality that affirms the differences.Chapter Five,This paper discusses the relationship between theDifference Theory and female culture,and probes into the gender cultural achievements of the Difference Theory on feminism.This paper expounds the evolution from “Goddess Worship” to construction of female culture.Women need to get the female consciousness of self-confident back from previous long-standing supreme religious beliefs,that means to join in the construction of female culture.The paper expounds the inner structure of female culture,including the basis of the Difference Theory in female culture,which overcomes the spirit and ideas on the basis of the the Difference Theory on patriarchy culture and feminism culture;it includes the value of“feminine delight” in female culture,and embodies the essence of female that women should extend physical pleasure to the levels of spirit,truth,laws,systems and speeches,and this delight value has intrinsic and the non aggressive characteristic which coexists with the other subject's culture;it includes the spindle of genealogy of woman in female culture,that is,the spindle of matriarchal genealogy,which deepens and strengthens the substantive relations between the female main body,and promotes the harmonious development of the female subject;it also includes the expression of female culture – “Female tone”,that is,female discourse,female rhetoric,feminine writing and poetic language advocated and practiced by Irigaray.This paper expounds the value of female culture in ethics,including reconstruction of the space-time view of gender difference;it includes social culture from “absence” to “presence”,especially the presence of female culture in philosophy;it also includes the ethical orientation of “I have feelings for you”,that is,the free and independent mutual care between the two subjects,that they are neither antagonistic nor identical,which embodies the mutual respect of gender culture.Chapter Six,The paper points out the direction from the Difference Theory to harmony,and analyses the vision and pursuit of the Difference Theory of feminism.The paper expounds how to transcend the bridge of binary opposition,that is,pursue female liberation and gender harmony in respect of differences.The Difference Theory addresses the critical issue ofhow gender conflict should be resolved and where it should go.The paper expounds the basic connotations of gender harmony,including its realistic basis,that is,the basic equality in social and political rights;it includes gender harmony in natural ethics,that is,“communication”,“exchange”,“breathing”,“silence” and “listening” in physiology and psychology;it also introduces the responsibilities of the subjects for gender harmony,that is,the self renewal and responsibilities of male subject,and the enhancement of female subject in consciousness and its obligations.The paper expounds the future and vision of pluralistic harmony,including the extension and enlargement of gender harmony,the pursuit of harmony between man and nature,the way to get along with others outside the Orient wisdom,and the construction of a harmonious world.In general,Irigaray's feminist theory of difference has its own construction characteristics and significant theoretical contributions.At the same time,the following methods and enlightenment are given: feminist should consciously rethink the paradox of their theories,grasp the central discourse of the times and be keen on the pursuit of subject value,embrace different cultural traditions with broad mind,and use innovative and unique academic expressions.The research on feminist theories in China should broaden its horizons,and pay close attention to the Western feminism,especially its frontier development issues of the third wave,absorb and draw on all the positive achievements including the Difference Theory of feminism,and elevate the theoretical research of women emancipation and development under the new era of Marxism to a new level.