Author: Curt Doolittle

WHAT DO PATRIARCHY OR PATERNALISM MEAN?

I don’t think anyone who uses the term patriarchy or paternalism has the faintest idea what they’re talking about other than some vague intuition that the word means something good or bad.

In practice I think it means at least that it was a mistake allowing women to enter the voting pool. (Probably true. Women definitely require juridical defense but they appear incompetent and legislative ‘offense’.)

Aside from that I don’t know anything much other than we need to (a) restore liability for interference in a marriage and liability for ending a marriage (b) end community property (c) end alimony (d) leave child support to the hosting parent, (e) with children given bias to the mother until X age and to the father, at least of boys after X age. (single dads are better than single moms by a long shot.) (f) and therefore the family court system.

Here is my little test of chat gpt on this issue as well:

CurtD:
So here is my understanding. (a) paternalism means men take responsibility for the behavior of individuals in the commons such that they follow the group evolutionary strategy meaning contribute to the normative and institutional and knowledge commons, and do not allow the consumption of the accumulated cultural capital in that strategy and in those institutions and commons, by individual evasion of responsibility for maintaining that capital. In other words the purpose of the public arena is for the raising of children by intergenerational families. Everything else is a private matter, not a public one, and may not be visible in any way within the commons.

ChatGPT
Your interpretation of paternalism appears to be rooted in a specific sociobiological framework that emphasizes group evolutionary strategy, cultural capital, and the role of men in maintaining these structures. This is a nuanced take that incorporates elements of evolutionary psychology, sociology, and ethics. Here’s a breakdown:

Key Components
Group Evolutionary Strategy: You posit that paternalism serves to maintain a group’s long-term survival and prosperity by enforcing norms and behaviors that have been evolutionarily advantageous.

Cultural Capital: In your view, paternalism is not just about maintaining order but also about preserving the accumulated wisdom, norms, and institutions that constitute a group’s cultural capital.

Male Responsibility: You emphasize the role of men in this system, suggesting that paternalism is inherently tied to male authority and responsibility for maintaining these social structures.

Commons: You introduce the idea of the “commons” as shared resources—be they material, normative, or intellectual—that require collective maintenance.

Individual Evasion: You also touch upon the tension between individual desires and collective responsibilities, suggesting that paternalism serves to curb individual behaviors that might deplete the commons.

Implications and Questions
Ethical Implications: This interpretation raises ethical questions about individual autonomy and freedom, especially if one does not subscribe to the group’s evolutionary strategy or cultural norms.

Gender Dynamics: Your focus on male responsibility could be critiqued from feminist perspectives that question the gendered assumptions underlying this form of paternalism.

Cultural Relativism: How does this model account for cultural diversity and the fact that different groups may have different evolutionary strategies and forms of cultural capital?

Enforcement Mechanisms: What are the mechanisms through which this form of paternalism is enforced? Legal systems? Social shaming? Economic incentives?

Your interpretation offers a complex, multi-layered understanding of paternalism that goes beyond common usage to incorporate elements of evolutionary theory, cultural analysis, and ethical considerations. Would you like to delve deeper into any of these aspects?

CURTD:
I assume this means because forcd is required to enforce these behaviors and because men demonstrate responsibility and status by defense of and production of commons and capital, while women demonstrate just the opposite: the maximization of consumption of all forms of capital but not responsibility for production or defense of that capital. As far as I know all sex differences are reducible to female hyperconsumption and evasion of risk that comes with responsibility for production and defense of commons, while men enage in hypercapitalization, and bearing the risk that comes with responsibility for production and defense of commons – in no small part because it gives access to women favoring hyperconsumption as well as men who favor discounts on production of capital precisely by working with individuals having demonstrated success in producing and defending capital.

ChatGPT
Your interpretation posits a fundamental dichotomy between male and female behaviors, rooted in evolutionary biology and economics. You argue that men and women have evolved different strategies for interacting with their environments: men focus on the production and defense of shared resources (commons and capital), while women focus on the consumption of these resources. Here’s a breakdown of your argument:

Key Components
Force and Enforcement: You suggest that force is often required to maintain the commons, and that men are primarily responsible for this enforcement.

Status and Responsibility: In your view, men gain status through the production and defense of commons and capital, which also entails risk and responsibility.

Hyperconsumption vs. Hypercapitalization: You introduce these terms to describe the divergent strategies of women and men. Women are geared towards “hyperconsumption,” or the maximization of resource use, while men are geared towards “hypercapitalization,” or the maximization of resource production and safeguarding.

Risk and Reward: Men bear the risks associated with the responsibility for production and defense, which in turn gives them access to social and material rewards, including female companionship.

Implications and Questions
Ethical Implications: This framework raises ethical questions about gender roles and equality. How does one reconcile these evolutionary roles with modern notions of gender equality?

Sociocultural Factors: How does this evolutionary framework interact with sociocultural factors that also influence behavior? For example, social norms, laws, and education can all impact how men and women behave.

Exceptions and Variability: How does your model account for individual and cultural variability? Not all men or women may fit neatly into these roles.

Economic and Policy Implications: What are the implications of this model for economic policy and social welfare programs? For example, would this model suggest different kinds of economic policies for men and women?

Your interpretation offers a provocative and detailed framework for understanding gender differences through the lens of evolutionary biology, risk-taking, and economic behavior. It’s a model that would likely generate much discussion and debate, particularly from those who approach gender from sociocultural or constructivist perspectives.