Unraveling Patriarchy: Engels' Insights and Modern Realities

Red
Jan 29, 2024
7 min read

Updated: Oct 1, 2024

As we analyze the current state of the world, we see a complex system that has shaped societal structures, gender norms, and sexual identities. Taking inspiration from Friedrich Engels' work "The Origin of the Family, Private Property and the State," [1] This article embarks on a journey to understand the birth of patriarchy and its far-reaching consequences. These include the birth of sexism, the establishment of binary gender norms, and the creation of heteronormativity that we see today.

Engels's Book

It's worth mentioning that the following article draws inspiration from Engels' book, but it's not about the book per say. We haven't read the book in its entirety, so the article is not based solely on the book's content. Instead, we're using the general concept of the book to inspire our discussion. (We plan to read the book over at our YouTube Channel for "Politdigm Reads" [2])

It's important to note that while some of Engels’ ideas may be outdated, his general insights into the evolution of society are still relevant today, and they provide a useful framework for understanding how our modern societies came to be. Engels provides a profound insight into the evolution of the family, explaining how our primitive communist societies transitioned into the early forms of class society. He argues that it's since the origin of class society that we stopped being a matrilineal egalitarian society and became a patriarchal society.

Our Evolution Into Class Society

In his work, Friedrich Engels delves into the evolution of family structures and how they have transformed over time. Engels notes that the earliest societies were based on communal living, where resources were shared equally among all members of the community. This egalitarian society was characterized by a matrilineal [3] system, where descent was traced through the female line, and women enjoyed a prominent role in societal affairs.

However, with the emergence of agriculture and surplus production, the concept of class distinctions emerged. The communal sharing of resources gradually gave way to the concept of private ownership. This marked the beginning of the class division, as some individuals had more wealth and resources than others.

In early agricultural societies, the concept of patriarchy [4] did not exist yet. There was still a matrilineal system. However, as communal agricultural societies evolved into agricultural class societies, men began to desire the ability to pass down their accumulated wealth and property to their offspring, which now existed due to agriculture. This desire was driven by men wanting to establish a legacy that could be passed on to future generations.

As a result of this desire, and the manipulation of cultural and religious beliefs, the patriarchal system of inheritance emerged. Under this new system, descent was traced through the male line, and women were often excluded from inheriting property or wealth. This shift in inheritance patterns had a profound impact on society, as it reinforced gender roles and led to the establishment of a patriarchal social order.

Embedded in Engels' ideas is the Marxist maxim, "The history of all hitherto existing society is the history of class struggles." [5] While the struggles between men and women don't represent distinct classes, they trace their origins to a pivotal moment — a class of men aspiring for more power, ultimately sacrificing the autonomy of women to achieve their objectives. The patriarchal structure, in its essence, becomes a tool for consolidating power within a specific group, perpetuating a cycle of dominance and subjugation.

The Sacrifice of Women

Throughout history, the Patriarchy has been established and maintained through the manipulation of cultural and religious beliefs. This manipulation can be seen in the patterns that emerge when we examine old religious artifacts. Many cultures, before the establishment of a Patriarchy, worshipped goddesses alongside male gods. However, as the Patriarchy began to take root, these goddesses were gradually replaced or deemed less important than their male counterparts.

This was a deliberate tactic used to ensure that the Patriarchy would survive and become the dominant way of life. By manipulating and altering the religious beliefs of people, the Patriarchy had an explanation for why men needed to be the dominant group and why women didn't deserve as many rights.

One of the ways the Patriarchy was able to solidify itself was by imposing strict monogamy on women. This was done using religion to justify the practice, which served to control women's sexuality and limit their choices. This made it easier for men to maintain power and keep their lineage intact. Additionally, the Patriarchy enforced binary gender norms, reducing gender and sex to a simplistic, binary dichotomy of male and female. This was done to enable men to categorize and control others and to reinforce the notion that men were the dominant gender.

Finally, the imposition of heteronormativity, which assumes that heterosexuality is the norm, further reinforced the patriarchal paradigm. By promoting the idea that heterosexuality was the only acceptable form of sexual identity, the Patriarchy ensured that women only served men for reproduction. This ultimately helped the Patriarchy maintain its power and control over society.

Over the centuries the combination of all these different manipulations has completely changed the way people think. Not only has the creation of the patriarchy created a mentality for many centuries that women were nothing but objects, but it also created queer oppression, as people would be deemed sick to even consider sharing a kiss with a person of the same gender.

The Patriarchy in the modern era

Although the Patriarchy was not created by capitalism, it is still preserved by it. Capitalism benefits from keeping the Patriarchy alive, even if it is in more indirect ways. In two previous articles, we discussed the existence of right-wing propaganda [6] and the rise of right-wing ideology in Europe [7]. In those two articles, we talked about the usage of hate speech and other horrible acts to instill fear in people, triggering their reactionary tendencies, and gaining votes for parties that actively flirt with fascism.

The Patriarchy has been and is used for this exact purpose. For example, regarding queer people, the idea of their only being two genders, and that gender is the same as the sex you are born with, is a creation of the Patriarchy, and quite an old one at that. People have been brainwashed into believing that there truly are only two genders and, of course, heterosexuality. Anything different than those two concepts is considered degenerate and a display of mental illness.

These ideas can be used to create fake stories and, of course, to blame left-wing ideologies for enabling these so-called "degenerates" to be themselves. It is important to note that these ideas are not based on facts and are harmful to the queer community. They are creating a panic around something that is not a problem, but rather just people being themselves.

Whilst those who believe in these narratives, probably believe that queer people are genuinely evil, it is clear that those who create them do not. Of course, we can't say that with a hundred percent certainty, but when it comes to right-wing politicians who are funded and lobbied by large corporations the story is different. When they start using this type of rhetoric to gain voters for parties that only serve the interest of the capitalist class, it becomes hard to believe that they care about the so-called indoctrination of our children about queer existence.

Capitalism and Feminism's Impact on Gender Dynamics

In the last 50 years, there has been a significant shift in the dynamics between men and women, and the traditional patriarchal system has seemingly lost some of its power. The reasons for this shift are complex and multifaceted, but one important factor is the changing economic landscape. While feminism has played a critical role in advocating for women's rights, the growth in workers' rights for women can largely be attributed to capitalism's shortcomings.

As the cost of living continues to rise and wages stagnate or even decrease, it is no longer feasible for only the men in a family to work. In the past, it was the responsibility of the man to provide for the entire family, but this is no longer a viable option for many households. Nowadays, the average wage of one person is no longer sufficient to sustain a family, which has led to women entering the workforce in larger numbers.

However, it is important to note that this shift has not occurred because the bourgeoisie suddenly had a change of heart or because of a newfound respect for women's rights. Rather, it was the only way for them to maintain their consumers' and their workforce's financial stability. By allowing women to work and earn wages, they can keep their consumers and workers wealthy enough to continue buying their products and services, ultimately enriching themselves in the process.

Despite the role that capitalism has played in this shift, feminism has been a critical force in advocating for women's rights and pushing for gender equality. The changing economic landscape has opened up new opportunities for women to enter the workforce and assert their rights, but that should not distract us from the real issue at hand. There is still much work to be done to ensure that women are treated fairly and equitably in all aspects of society.

Conclusion

The topic of patriarchy and its origins through the lens of Engels' work has far-reaching implications that extend beyond mere historical curiosity. It is a living force that shapes contemporary gender dynamics and continues to exert its influence on our societies. By exploring the class struggle that underpins the patriarchy, we can gain a better understanding of how sexism, rigid gender norms, and heteronormativity are perpetuated in our society. This knowledge is essential in our efforts to dismantle oppressive structures and create a more egalitarian future.

However, it is not enough to fight for women's and queer rights in isolation. The patriarchy is intimately tied to capitalism, and until we address this connection, we cannot hope to eradicate sexism and queerphobia. These oppressive forces play a role in protecting the interests of the capitalist class, and as long as capitalism exists, they will continue to exist as well.

It is important to note that even in a post-capitalist society, a sexism and queerphobia-free world is not guaranteed. We must continue to fight for the rights of all individuals and ensure that no one is objectified or hated for simply being themselves. Only through a sustained effort can we hope to create a society that is truly equitable and just.

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