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Assignment 2

In “skeletons in the Closet,” Londa Schiebinger mentions the arguments about the sex differences for men and women on physical, race and ethnic. Through out the history, many people believe the men have more capability to stand on the public spheres of government and commerce, science and scholarship, and women supports to be motherhood, doing house-works. They base on the anatomical evidence which ‘Woman’s skull was smaller than man, woman’s pelvic was larger than man’. Rely on this, they result men were more intelligent than women since they had larger brain. This is what they believe for “nature”. Base on this natural reason and the dignity of man, they reject woman to join the government, or stand on higher social events. But, another anatomist Soemmerring and student find out women have heavier brain than men. So this may not be a method to justified the social status for women or men.

In ancient world, Aristotle argued the women are colder and weaker than men. Galen also believed that women are cold and moist while men are warm and dry. They used those reasons to justified women’s inferior social status.

In seventeenth century, many feminist used explicitly medical arguments to buttress pleas for the social equality of women. They states that in anatomy, the head of women and men are the same size, also have same memory and imagination in their brains, women’s eyes can see as clearly. Those feminist’s argument have make some influence i Renaissance and early modern medical circles.

After the influence of those feminist, some anatomist have stand up states that they did not believe in sex difference. Such as Eliza Haywood, she believe the natural reason which anatomist gave is incorrect, she think female brain may not less strong than male.

The comparing of the anatomy of women and men was an important topic because since many people justified women and men’ social status depends on the brain size and how strong they are.