The sexual contract
In the sexual contract by Carole Pateman she explains how some theorist left out some information in the sexual contract. The theorist that written the contract wrote it to only benefit themselves. It benefited people of patriarchy men and fathers. I feel that women were not incorporated into the civil socostly as equal individuals. Men had power over women. Under the sexual contract women were subjects to men. Men could have access to their bodies anytime they please. Also under the contract men had policital rights over women. Women were subordinated to me and did not have any rights within the contract. The marriage contract only allowed women to come together with men to give birth. Both parents could not have rights over the child so they were given to the mother. The child would only obey the mother.
Different theorist had their own views of the social and sexual contract. One believed that women should be excluded from the original contract because it is made from man. Another theorist thought that women should be seen as an individual and men shouldn’t have rights over them. Marriages were seen as businesses and husbands and wives were business partners. The wife had to adapt herself to her husband , but the husband did not have power over her. If the wife obey her husband then in return he will protect her. In the nature state a women status as being seen as an individual was completely cut out.
Other theorist believed that women were not born free or equal individuals but seen as property and subjects to men. The equality between men and women disappeared. Who ever owned property had to protect it and if protected than that individual can do whatever they want to the property. They can sell it, rent it or even trade it to whom ever they want to.
Women were not incorporated in the civil society as equal individuals but incorporated as subjects, property, and subordinates. They were incorporated to make the men feel powerful and have rights over someone who wasn’t strong as them. These theorist wrote these contracts so that it would give themselves power and other men power as well. It wouldn’t look right if men had power over other men because they were seen as equals and they were born free. So it would make sense to have power over someone who wasn’t on the same level as men. This incorporation gave men power over someone who wasn’t born free but born weak.
