Soulful Sundays: Patriarchy

"If I have seen further, it is by standing on the shoulders of giants." -Sir Isaac Newton

Patriarchy. The mere mention of the word evokes a plethora of emotional triggers. Perhaps one of the most weaponized topics in modern politics, the concept of patriarchal domination is often taken at face value. Further investigation reveals a story that is far more gray than the black-and-white narrative of oppressor vs. oppressed—men vs. women. The reality is more complex, more human—and far more consequential.

Classically defined, patriarchy is a social and political system in which authority is vested in adult men, particularly fathers, and descent, inheritance, and leadership are traced through the male line. Barring a few notable exceptions like the Iroquois Confederacy, the Mosuo of China, and the Minangkabau of Indonesia, the practice of patriarchy has been the foundation of human civilization for over ten thousand years. The reasons behind its ubiquitous adoption remain an area of intense debate. Critics of patriarchy argue that male aggression and the desire to control women's reproductive rights lie at the core of the problem. Supporters point out that the systems created by patriarchy—such as law, religion, and science—were justified trade-offs that allowed humanity to reach the level of advancement we now enjoy.

There is no question that unchecked patriarchal whim has caused (and continues to cause) damage, but assigning blame is a fool’s errand. Both men and women are responsible for shaping the system—men through their ambition to control their destiny and be worthy of the attention of women, and women through their desire for creation and their choice of laudable characteristics in men. In fact, patriarchal abuse has harmed low-status men just as much as it has harmed women. And high-status women have helped perpetuate the abuses that maintained their position. This isn't a one-sided power structure—it’s a feedback loop. If we look at patriarchy as an evolutionary tool rather than a diabolical machine, we might gain some clarity.

To date, patriarchy is the most stable system of human civilization. It has advanced us from stone tool-wielding tribes to the most technologically sophisticated species that has ever existed. This advancement did not happen by accident—it was a finely tuned system that aimed to optimally harness the biological differences between the sexes. It gave men a productive outlet for their energies, linking honor, reputation, and legacy directly to their actions. It gave women a stable and protected home environment, free from the lability and stress of competing with men.

When executed properly, patriarchy produces men who are sensitive to the needs of women. This sensibility helped give rise to the equal rights movements of the 20th century—progress that should have come sooner, but whose seeds were planted long ago by early Christians. Jesus Christ, in both word and deed, radically uplifted the status of women in a cultural context that often treated them as property. He spoke directly to women, welcomed them as disciples, and defended their dignity in public spaces—actions that were profoundly countercultural at the time. Centuries later, Christian suffragists and abolitionists would carry forward that legacy. The irony, of course, is that Christianity is often labeled one of the great perpetrators of patriarchal oppression. And yet, it also sowed the seeds of reform. All of this is to say that the simple picture of domination is not so simple.

Those who are skeptical of patriarchy have a right to be so, but abuse arises from any form of tyranny—including the tyranny invoked by labeling all patriarchy as evil. One need only look around to see the negative impact that the spiteful dismantling of foundational systems has had on society. Divorce is at an all-time high. More and more people are electing not to have children. There is an epidemic of body dysphoria among the youth. Male suicide rates and acts of violence continue to rise. These are the unintended consequences of unbridled deconstruction. Nothing is left to hold everything together—and chaos ensues.

Patriarchy is reminiscent of democracy. As Winston Churchill so eloquently put it, “Democracy is the worst form of government—except for all the others that have been tried.” The same could be said of patriarchy: flawed, imperfect, often abused—but far more functional than anything that has replaced it. Tear it down entirely, and you don’t get freedom—you get fragmentation. The answer isn’t to destroy what’s old. It’s to refine it—to remember what worked, root out what didn’t, and build something durable enough to carry both men and women into the future.