Universal Refusal

Freud spoke of the "e;repudiation of femininity"e; as being an "e;underlying bedrock"e;, part of the "e;enigma"e; of sexuality. The enigma is not so much the refusal of the feminine dimension as such; it has more to do with rejecting its erotic and genital aspects, as well as its creation through sexual ecstatic pleasure. Equality between the sexes is a legitimate demand in the political, social, and economic spheres, but forming a masculine-feminine relationship as a couple is a creation of the mind, exalting the acknowledgement of the otherness which is part of the difference between the sexes. There is a conflict in woman - and the feminine dimension itself is rooted in it - between a sexuality that demands "e;defeat"e; and an ego that abhors this. It is the man's masculine dimension - the antagonist of the phallic one - which creates the feminine dimension in women, by tearing away their defences and generating sexual ecstasy. The quality of the sexual, emotional, and social relationship that is set up between a man and a woman bears witness to the "e;work of civilization"e; (Kulturarbeit).