The Subjection of Women by John Stuart Mill

<자유론>으로 유명한 존 스튜어트 밀의 저서이다. 작년에 읽고 goodreads에 썼던 독후감인데 백업용으로 기록해둔다. 한국어로 여성의 종속이라고도 불리는 책이다.

This book is one of the classic works on feminism. Its main argument is that women’s participation in society brings significant benefits to all, and since men and women are equal, women should be granted equal voting rights. It is also notable that Mill's wife, Harriet Taylor, made substantial contributions to the writing of this book. I was surprised by how a book written in the 19th century still feels relevant and resonates deeply in the modern era.

He discusses the roles that society expected women to fulfill within the household at the time. Reading this part made me reflect on modern society. In Korea, even just a decade or so ago, it was considered almost mandatory for women to get married, and once married, having children was taken as a given. However, as women’s educational attainment has risen and their participation in the workforce has become more active, societal attitudes have shifted somewhat compared to the past. While the pressure still exists, it has certainly lessened compared to earlier times. Even for me, growing up, I used to think that getting married and having children was the norm.

When I talk to friends from high school and university, the topic sometimes comes up. Many express concerns about pregnancy-related physical changes, career interruptions, or even how unsafe the world feels nowadays, especially when thinking about raising daughters. Ultimately, most of them say they don’t really want to have children. Personally, I feel the same—I’m not particularly inclined to have kids. If I meet a good man, I might consider it, but that’s about it. One of my friends once said she couldn’t understand why men would want to get married. But when she flipped the perspective, she said that if she could find a man who would give birth to a child that resembled her and raise the child, she would absolutely want to get married. However, she added, if she had to be the one doing all that, she wouldn’t want to either. I thought her point was quite valid.

On a slightly different note, it’s clear that the rates of unmarried individuals and DINKs are on the rise here. This shift in perception demonstrates how much Mill’s critique of women’s subjugation in his era has been addressed in modern society. Although many of the issues Mill highlighted still persist in various countries, society has undeniably been evolving, and much of what Mill advocated has either been realized or is in the process of being realized.

2024.12.22