S AN D IEGO M ESA C OLLEGE
P
HIL
125
CRN: 62707
F
ALL
2015
I NSTRUCTOR : P ROF .
N INA R OSENSTAND
Professor Rosenstand’s office: SB 311P
Office hours: MTWTh 11:15-12:30 and by appointment
Phone: (619) 388-2407.
E-mail: nrosenst@sdccd.edu
(e-mails will be answered during my office hours.)
Website: http://classroom.sdmesa.edu/nrosenst
S TAY INFORMED ABOUT POSSIBLE CHANGES TO THE READINGS AND TEST DATES .
C HANGES , IF ANY , WILL BE
POSTED ON THE WEBSITE
50 % objective, 50 % subjective/short essay test. Bring a scantron Form #882. Please use pencil #2 for the scantron (Part 1), and pen for Part 2. Make sure your scantron answers are clear and unambiguous; otherwise the scantron machine can’t read them. Read the questions carefully. You may write on the prompt. Total possible points: 100. NO BOOKS, NO NOTES ALLOWED.
Plagiarism policy: Using unauthorized open books, notes and/or electronic devices during the test, or consulting with other students, will result in an F on the test, and will be reported.
There will be 12 True/False questions; each correct answer is worth 2 points.
There will be 13 Multiple Choice questions; each correct answer is worth 2 points.
There will be 6 “short essay” questions (“Part 2”); answer 5 out of 6. Each essay will be worth max. 10 points. 10-9:A, 8:B, 7:C, 6-4:D, 3-0:F
Respond in the write-in area on the test prompt; do not go beyond the area.
S AMPLE ESSAY QUESTION :
Describe Eisler’s theory of the two historic social models, and link it up with her symbolism of the chalice and the blade.
READINGS
In Course Reader (CR) Rosenstand. The Moral of the Story , McGraw-Hill 2013, 7th edition. Ch.12 pp.1-
10
CR: Eisler, Riane. The Chalice and the Blade , Introduction, from Ch.4, and from Ch.9
CR: Lerner, Gerda. The Creation of Patriarchy .
Mahowald, Mary. Philosophy of Woman : Genesis 32-37
Mahowald, St. Paul, p.41-44
CR: Pagels, Elaine. The Gnostic Gospels
Tentative; time permitting:
CR: Allen, “When Women Throw Down Bundles: Strong Women Make Strong Nations.”
CR: Shepardson, Mary, “The Gender Status of Navajo Women.”
1

2
KEY CONCEPTS/DISCUSSIONS
An asterisk * [star symbol] signifies a possible short essay topic.
C OURSE R EADER : R OSENSTAND , Ch.12, pp.1-10
Gender-specific vs gender-neutral language
Descriptive and normative approaches
Sexual equality: descriptive or normative? (sexual dimorphism)
Feminism’s major classifications: Classical, difference, radical feminism.
[from your notes]
Women in Combat box: * [ALL POINTS BELOW!]
Female POW soldiers in Iraq: Lori Piestewa (deceased), Jessica Lynch, Shoshanna Johnson
(survivors)
4 arguments for and against women in combat:
Pro: (1) It is a natural progression toward complete gender equality in a modern society.
(2) Qualified women can be as effective, and as brave, as their male counterparts.
(3) Many women want to serve their country in combat, and if they qualify, it would be unfair to exclude them.
(4) Since combat experience is necessary for officers’ advancement within the military, it is discriminatory to exclude women officers—it maintains a glass ceiling.
Con: (1) Women simply aren’t “qualified”, except for perhaps a very few.
(2) It is dangerous for the male soldiers to have female comrades-in-arms: because of a natural chivalry and an instinct to protect
(3) Women POWs are in greater danger of being raped than male POWs
(4) It is simply uncivilized to have women in combat.
Some evidence of goddess worship in ancient times
Classifications: matriarchy/patriarchy; matrifocal; matrilineal/patrilineal (= “matrilinear/patrilinear); matrilocal/patrilocal; gynocentric; gynocratic. [from your notes]
CR: E ISLER :
Difficulty of historiography: few early sources [from your notes]
Paleolithic: Old Stone Age, before 10,000 years ago. Neolithic: New Stone Age, from 10,000 to approx.
4000-6000 years ago.
“Activist research”: Not history, but politics, a political “manifesto”: Descriptive approach to ancient history, normative approach to the future [from your notes] dominator model vs. partnership model * chalice vs. blade symbolism (= container/weapon, female/male) *
Theory: original gynocratic Middle Eastern societies, overtaken by patriarchal invaders (Kurgans) from the north *
Metal used for weapons signified cultural shift
Influenced by archaeologist Marija Gimbutas
Great influence on the gender debate [from your notes]
CR: L ERNER :
Thesis: Social changes bring changes in religion (so you can read social conditions into religious myths)
*
3 aspects of Goddess (tripartite): the maiden, the mother, and the crone [from your notes]
3 stages in development from goddess to god: 1) Mother Goddess, 2) transition/Sacred Marriage ( hieros gamos ), 3) Male god with insignificant or nonexistent wife *
Transition: Possible recurring marriage and ritual murder of priestess’s/queen’s consort
[from your notes]
Naming: the power of naming a thing or a problem and thus identifying it (Rumplestiltskin); a male prerogative in patriarchy *
Final stage of transition: Old goddesses become male gods or disappear *

3
The slaying of the monster/the dragon: Marduk slays Tiamat. *
St. George and the dragon “trope.” Perseus; Beowulf;
Aliens . Originates from the transition period to the male god take-over. [from your notes]
G ENESIS :
2 stories: (1) Man and woman created in God’s image. (2) Eve created from Adam’s rib; the role of the snake; the disobedience theme *
The Genesis stories have a Babylonian origin, according to historians.
[from your notes]
Remnants of a matrilocal tradition in the patriarchal period text [from your notes]
The story of the three Patriarchs, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, while within the patriarchal tradition, also contains remnants of a matrilocal time: Isaac and Jacob find wives from their mothers’ family [from your notes, time permitting]
S T .
P AUL
Persecuted Jesus’s followers, and then became a follower himself after a vision.
[from your notes]
Writing to Christian groups, believing the Second Coming is close.
A wife belongs to her husband, but the husband also belongs to his wife.*
Marriage is acceptable, if abstinence is a problem; the end of the world is near *
A man must uncover his head, woman must cover her head while praying; man has direct contact with
God, woman has indirect link through man *
CP E ISLER CH .9
Jesus Christ emphasized “gylanic” values and feminine virtues *
Gylanic/gylany: a society with female/male power balance; vs. androcracy
Evidence: Mary Magdalene’s importance, and other female disciples *
Women could be prophets in the early church
Elaine Pagels in The Gnostic Gospels : gospels that emphasized the role of women were banned: Gospel of Mary, Gospel of Philip *
The Gnostic Gospels taught that the divine principle is both male and female
In the Roman empire, while patriarchal, women had some standing; that disappeared with Christianity after the Gnostic Gospels were suppressed.
CR: P AGELS :
The Nag Hammadi finds of early Christian texts, 1945 [from your notes]
The Gnostic Gospels suggest that
 the creator of Genesis may have been male and female

Sophia/Wisdom is the female creator spirit

Mary Magdalene may have been a key disciple of Jesus. Gospel of Mary, Gospel of Philip; Mary
Magdalene was Jesus’ favorite.*

Speculation: the role of Mary Magdalene [from your notes]
T IME PERMITTING ( IF WE DON
’
T HAVE TIME , THIS MATERIAL WILL BE ON THE QUIZ ):
CR: P AULA G UNN A LLEN :
Many women in current tribal leadership
Traditional Indian social structures involved women leaders ( sunksquaws ) in government
Male gender often assigned to Indian leaders if gender wasn’t known; often they were sunksquaws *
Compare with Lerner: Goddess are transformed into Gods or lose influence in the Transition period [from your notes]

4
American Indian male leaders cooperated with European patriarchal tradition; undermined gender cooperation.
Handsome Lake’s role in introducing patriarchy
The Cherokee story [from your notes]
Le Jeune’s program for destroying a native culture: 1) settlement, 2) punishment of children, 3) education of the young, 4) European family structure, no divorce *
Difference between the matriarchal and patriarchal leadership system according to Le Jeune: In the patriarchal system the leaders are feared; in the matriarchal system they are made fun of.
4 objectives, changing a gynocentric system to patriarchal: 1) Change female creator goddess to a male god; 2) destroying tribal institutions; 3) relocation; 4) the clan structure replaced by nuclear family*
Animistic cultures such as American Indians are especially hard hit by relocation [from your notes]
CR: Mary Shepardson
Navajo (Diné) Indians are matrilineal and matrilocal
Women have equal rights with men in terms of inheritance
Navajo women have menstrual taboos*
Navajo women can become leaders of ceremonies after menopause*
“Separation of the Sexes” explains why women can’t be trusted.*