How to Occult Misogyny and Antifeminism in the History of Political Ideas: The Case of Pierre-Joseph Proudhon

Abstract

This article offers an analysis of Proudhon's sexist and anti-feminist remarks and of the different strategies developed by his interpreters to avoid taking them seriously, in an apparent concern to defend his image as a 'great thinker'. Considering Proudhon's comments about men and women, personal letters about his wife and daughters, as well as critical interpretations of feminists and anarchists of the time, it is possible to explain quite simply his seemingly contradictory positions for an anarchist: he was also a man – husband and father – who defended his power, his privileges, and his masculine interests. Such a conclusion might be relevant for contemporary anarchists, since today the anarchist networks are still struggling with sexism and even sexual violence.