I don't think being rational or emotional is gender related, but I see a cultural bias over many centuries, from the time of Antigone and before. Plato was radical in his suggestion that women could be political leaders over men. Aristotle immediately reversed that notion and said it is natural for men to rule over women. Both men and women, even today, tend to agree with Aristotle. Even Rand said she would not vote for a woman for President.
Women are going to college, but it's men who designed and built the buildings, paved the roads, designed and built and maintained the automobiles in the parking lots. Men maintain the grounds and clean the buildings. One has to look around a lot to find something to which women contributed. It was a man who invented and perfected the sewing machine. It was a man who invented and developed the stoves on which they cook. The best cooks in the world are men, and the best tailors in the world are men.
Even Ayn Rand, a rare female philosopher, believes a woman's role is to surrender to a man.
Nietzsche was affected by the women who dominated his life and sissyfied him. His superman philosophy was largely a reaction against that. Hemmingway was also alfa-male to offset the way he was treated when he was young, by a mother who put him in dresses sometimes.
Aristotle went by what he observed and called it natural. He observed that slavery was all around him during his time, so he called it natural. He was wrong. We can't always go by what is a trend, even if it is a long time trend. We have seen women who can be political leaders, and we see many women, although not as many as men, becoming mathematicians and scientists in fields like physics. I think it is possible that women could become more dominant in these fields if given a chance.
Other than childbirth, I don't think there are too many things women can't do if they want to and are given the opportunity and proper nurturing to do. And, I think they should be allowed to do what they want and have the ability to do.
I respect women who are in traditionally male roles and are comfortable. I may have problems seeing women drinking beer from the bottle and spiting and cussing. It's unlady-like, but I guess that's my problem, not theirs. I have worked with women at a casting foundry where I had to train them to work on large grinding machines which were dirty and dangerous. They had to either do this or get laid-off. Well, at first they were very awkward, like girls trying to throw a football, but then they became pretty good, as good as the males and better. However, as soon as they had the chance, they choose to go back to the airconditioned waxroom and office jobs.
I worked with two different female purchasing agents when I drove a truck for the steel foundry. We'd go together to purchase supplies for the company and bring them back in the truck. One helped me load and unload, but the other wore heals and remained in the cab while I did the physical work. She thought conformity to the woman's role was important. I had more respect for the other one.
I accept that some women just want to be receptionists and secretaries or office assistants, but I like women who don't mind working in the warehouse, who don't worry about their makeup so much that they can't do anything but look pretty and maybe answer telephones or shuffle papers while doing something on the computer.
I especially dislike women who tell me how full of it I am but want to avoid me saying I am such an unpleasant person.
I do think there are differences in thinking between women and men because of their different bodies and experiences, but I do still think they are rational and as human as men and deserve the same rights. I believe, for example, women in the military should be allowed in ground combat jobs if they meet the standards.
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