‘—

assignment 04

In Caliban and the Witch, Federichi reveals the brutal truth about capitalism. I found this appealing, because within today’s society, capitalism and everything it “offers”, is romanticized. And sometimes, we cannot help to believe this, at least one point in our lives, because of the states success in glorifying it. Capitalism is however misconstrued; Capitalism was built on the subjugation of women. Federichi explains this in detail, by reviewing the history and the “transition to capitalism.”

Federichi examines this period in history and first notes that this was not a period of social progress, even though many believed it to be so. When the women’s main role of being a housewife changed, they faced social degradation and as as results they were financially dependent to their husbands. Where women had almost no way of gaining an income, this economic separation of the genders forced women to have no place in their new society. They were viewed instead as property. Women were perceived as incapable and only useful for the means of reproduction. Federichi describes this by dating back to the 1500s of the population crisis. From my understanding of the reading, Europe was so substantial on increasing population because, the economy was so heavily dependent on labor, and labor required people. Therefore, they mandated women as criminals if they chose not to procreate. They viewed them as a necessity, and treated them as property and stole them of their autonomy and freedom. This showed the degradation of women and how powerful the European control was. Women were threatened of their basic rights. They had no control of their own bodies and reproduction. It was even viewed as a crime if there was any proof of birth controls. I found most appalling in the reading when males were apparently viewed as the true “givers of life” when male doctors delivered babies. This just furthered showed how meaningless women were perceived to be. Europe’s coercion of women reproduction was almost this product of capitalism. Because labor expansion was so important, capitalism was fixated on the degrading and exploitation of women, whatever means necessary.