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There are many different forms of misogyny. In its most overt expression, a misogynist will openly hate all women, and will hurt people simply because they are female. Some rapists and sexual predators fall into this category.
Other forms of misogyny may be more subtle. Some misogynists may simply hold all women under suspicion, or may hate women who don't fall into one or more acceptable categories. Entire cultures may be said to be misogynistic if they treat women in ways that can be seen as hateful.
Frequently the term misogynist is used in a looser sense as a term of derision to describe anyone who holds an unpopular or distasteful view about women as a group. A man who considers himself "a great lover of women," therefore, might somewhat paradoxically be termed a misogynist by those who consider his treatment of women sexist.
Many of the great religions and philosophies contain what could be called misogyny. St. Paul insisted that women cover their heads and should not talk in church. The Ten Commandments explicitly refer to wives as property. In Islam, a woman receives half as much inheritance as a man, and her witness is worth half as much in court. In Hinduism, the Code of Manu makes women incapable of ever being independent. At times in Indian history, it was customary for a woman to be pushed onto the funeral pyre of her husband (see Sati). There is, of course, wide disagreement as to whether these various teachings are misogynistic.
Some of the most famous philosophers exhibited misogyny at times. Arthur Schopenhauer, in a very sophisticated epistemological discussion in his main work, included the sentence, "Reason is feminine in nature: it can only give after it has received". Nietzsche is known for arguing that every higher form of civilisation implied stricter controls on women; he frequently insulted women, but is best known for the phrases, "Women are less than shallow", "Woman was God's second blunder," and "Are you going to women? Do not forget the whip!" Napoleon, Machiavelli, AristotleAristotle ( Greek Αριστοτλης Aristotelēs) ( 384 BCE March 7, 322 BCE) was a Greek scientist and philosopher. Along with Plato, he is often considered to be one of the two most influential philo, TolstoyPeople Pyotr Andreyevich Tolstoy ( 1645- 1729), statesman Pyotr Aleksandrovich Tolstoy ( 1761- 1844), military commander and diplomat Fyodor Petrovich Tolstoy ( 1783- 1873), artist Aleksey Konstantinovich Tolstoy ( 1817- 1885), writer Dmitry Andreyevich T and even the progressive RousseauRousseau is a French surname. Many influential cultural workers have gone by this name, although the person most likely to be referred to simply as Rousseau is Jean-Jacques Rousseau. Jean-Jacques Rousseau ( 1712- 1778) an author and influential philosophe were also known for making cruel comments about women. (It should also be noted, however, that philosophers such as John Stuart MillJohn Stuart Mill ( May 20, 1806 May 8, 1873) an English philosopher and economist, was the most influential liberal thinker of the 19th century. He was an advocate of utilitarianism, the ethical theory first proposed by his godfather Jeremy Bentham. John and Henry GeorgeHenry George ( September 2, 1839 October 29, 1897) was an American political economist, and the most influential proponent of the " Single Tax" on land. His Life Born in Philadelphia, George went to sea at age 16 before eventually settling in California. were supportive of feminismFeminism is a social theory and political movement primarily informed and motivated by the experience of women. While generally providing a critique of social relations, many proponents of feminism also focus on analyzing gender inequality and the promoti.)