A patriarch is an enemy of science.

One of the aspects that really seems to hinder learning within patriarchal societies is patriarchal epistemological arrogance. As I have previously mentioned on this blog, the patriarch typically makes a statement that is full of implications that he knows more than thou, but without ever having the courage to make his statement direct and explicit.

So, for instance, in the past I have made a statement along the lines: "Things for me have been extremely difficult, rather than easy." A patriarch is one who will find this statement extremely difficult to believe. One does not dare to question why this is, for this is to put pressure on the patriarch to develop some understanding of himself and his own perspectives -- something of which he is intrinsically incapable, if he is to remain a patriarch.

A patriarch is one who has faith -- rather than reason, or knowledge -- that the above statement, when uttered by a woman, is bound to be false. He knows not why he knows this. He simply "knows". He exercises his faith that what she says is simply untrue.

This, however, is epistemological arrogance. To maintain the position: "I know more about your life than you do, and have the better evaluation of it," is an untenable position from the perspective of contemporary measures of scientific rigour.

A patriarch, however, knows not why he knows what he believes he knows. His ideas are unfalsifiable [Cf. Popper] (i.e. unable to be treated objectively, or as a factual proposition) -- especially by women.

For a woman to question this implicit belief of the patriarch puts her in the category of "hysterical". The patriarch has taken on the trappings or appearance of scientific rigour (whilst maintaining a position based purely on faith) and is now accusing the woman of being incapable of observing the facts of her own life.

As I have shown, a patriarch is intrinsically hostile to critical analysis of reality as it happens to be (as opposed to the idea of reality as the patriarch wishes it to be).

A patriarch is an enemy of science.