Zusammenfassung
Otto Weininger’s Geschlecht und Charakter (1903) is a philosophical and psychological exploration of gender differences, seeking to derive the essence of masculinity and femininity from a single principle.
The book argues that all humans possess a mix of male and female traits, with sexual differentiation rooted in biological and psychological "intermediate forms." Weininger contrasts male consciousness, characterized by logic, ethics, and individuality, with female psychology, which he controversially deems lacking in individuality, morality, and genius, associating women with sexuality and passivity.
The text critiques women’s emancipation, links femininity to cultural decline, and controversially compares it to Judaism, positing men as creators of value and women as their complement.
Divided into a biological-psychological first part and a philosophical second part, it blends empirical analysis with metaphysical speculation, drawing on Kant, Plato, and Christianity.