A Review of ‘Citadels of Pride: Sexual Assault, Accountability and Reconciliation’

by Madeleine Kando

The American philosopher Martha Nussbaum has written many books on the subject of Justice and Morality. The title of her book ‘Citadels of Pride’ made me curious, not only because of its subject, but the title itself. What does the word Pride mean in the Context of Sexual Violence?

As Nussbaum explains, pride, which is actually the first of the seven deadly sins in Christianity, (followed by greed, wrath, envy, lust, gluttony and sloth) is the inability to see others as real, because you feel you are above them. There are many kinds of pride: class pride, race pride, national pride and gender pride. Gender pride is so deeply baked into our society, that we are not even aware of it.

The central features of what makes for a ‘full human being’, are autonomy and subjectivity. Autonomy means that you can make your own choices in life. Until recently, women were denied voting rights, choice in marriage and access to education. Subjectivity means that everyone has a right to their own inner experience, their own way of looking at the world. That is why we have Freedom of Religion, Freedom of Speech and Freedom of Association.

When it comes to sexual assault and harassment both of these essential ingredients are violated. The victim is treated as an object and their autonomy is denied. Their feelings and emotions are treated as irrelevant compared to the need for gratification of the aggressor.

Not only do women suffer when their autonomy and subjectivity are denied, this denial has the power to transform a person’s self-image. If you never experience autonomy, how can you even know of its existence? If your subjectivity is constantly denied, would you not think that it really shouldn’t exist? It prevents a woman from ‘wanting’ anything more than what she has, like the fox in famous fable. The fox, unable to get at the grapes, finally decides that he didn’t want the grapes to begin with.

In many (if not most) societies, being born a male already guarantees your claim to an unearned privilege over half of the world’s population. You are proud of something that you did not achieve on your own merit. Isn’t that the worst kind of pride?

I have often wondered what it would be like to be born male. Except for the (mostly uncomfortable) physiological differences, would I feel proud of my gender? Baby boys don’t pop out of the womb feeling proud. That feeling has to be acquired somehow and society accomplishes this in multiple ways. But boys have a choice. If they are lucky, they learn that drinking from the fountain of Pride is not what makes for a ‘full human being’. In a wonderful article: Thanksgiving Gratitude for a Father’s Lesson, columnist Bret Stephens describes how he patted a secretary’s bottom when he was 7 years old and how his father reacted to it.

It is sad to admit, but most of the women of my generation (including myself), have experienced some kind of sexual harassment, if not assault. Autonomy and subjectivity are not a guarantee when you are born as a female. That is why we need good laws.

Before the ‘No means No’ law, an assault was not considered rape unless the victim put up a fight. Taking someone’s wallet without permission is considered a crime, even if you don’t prevent it by force. But invading someone’s else’s body without their consent was ok, unless you fought back tooth and nail.

The second part of the book describes three ‘Citadels of Pride’: the judiciary, the arts and sports. Here, sexual violence is allowed to continue, simply because there is too much concentrated male power at the top. It insulates the abusers from accountability. The Kozinskies, the Winsteins and the James Winstons are prime examples of Pride run amuck.

Nussbaum also gives some solutions. Since the law has made little inroads in each of the three ‘Citadels’ of sports, entertainment and the juidiciary, she offers some structureal changes that would prevent some of the abuse taking place.

Laws should be there to deter bad behavior, but in the final analysis, it is at the level of education that change will happen: learning that if you are in a position of power, the vice of Pride is an easy temptress. Much like the mythical flight of Icarus, the man (or woman) who soars in self-adulatory egotism will inevitably crash to earth.  leave comment here

* The ‘arm candy’ of rich men are a good example. These gorgeous creatures don’t exude autonomy, they are ‘objects’ to be displayed at gala’s and dinner parties.