In the early 1970s, the feminist movement sought greater recognition and representation for women in society. However, only some people shared the same view on the issue. In the assigned excerpt from the document, “What’s Wrong with Equal Rights for Women?” Phyllis Schlafly, a conservative political activist, offered her critique of the feminist movement and what she saw as its flaws. Her thesis was that the feminist movement of the early 1970s was a threat to the traditional roles of men and women in society and that it was attempting to change the American way of life (Iaccarino, 2020).
She argued that feminists were trying to create an extreme form of gender equality that would undermine the traditional roles of men and women. In her opinion, Schlafly argued that the feminist movement was not only unnecessary but actually detrimental to women’s rights and liberties. She pointed out several ways the feminist movement was flawed, including its lack of focus and its tendency to divide women along economic lines.
Her most persuasive argument was using historical examples to illustrate her point. She pointed out that the idea of gender equality has been around since Ancient Greece and has always been a failure (Iaccarino, 2020). She argued that this is because it is not in line with God’s will and goes against the natural order. She adds that this is why the feminist movement of the 1970s was doomed to fail.
Conversely, her least persuasive argument was her attempt to portray the feminists as extreme radicals who wanted to overthrow the traditional roles of men and women. She states that feminists wanted to change the way society functioned entirely and that this would lead to chaos and destruction. This argument was not very persuasive because the feminist movement was not trying to overthrow traditional roles but rather to create more equitable ones.
Reference
Iaccarino, B. (2020). Why a Woman Was Against Her Own Equality: Understanding Phyllis Schlafly’s Opposition to the Equal Rights Amendment.