Against Our Will
| Company type | Book |
|---|---|
| Industry | Publishing |
| Founded | 1975 |
| Founder | Susan Brownmiller |
| Products | Non-fiction book |
Against Our Will: Men, Women and Rape is a 1975 publication by Susan Brownmiller that asserts rape functions as "a deliberate method of intimidation through which all men maintain all women in a perpetual state of fear."
Summary
Brownmiller critiques thinkers such as Richard von Krafft-Ebing, Sigmund Freud, Karl Marx, and Friedrich Engels for neglecting the societal aspects of rape. She characterizes rape as "a deliberate method of intimidation through which all men maintain all women in a perpetual state of fear" and emphasizes that no zoologist has documented instances of rape among animals in their natural habitats. The work disputes the notion that victims bear responsibility for assaults, addresses sexual violence during conflicts, challenges Freudian theories about rape fantasies, and draws parallels between rape and the historical practice of lynching African Americans—underscoring how social perceptions and legal frameworks can transform over time.
Reception
Against Our Will is recognized for altering societal perceptions of rape and contributing to legislative reforms, including modifications to evidentiary standards and enhanced protections for survivors in judicial proceedings. Mary Ellen Gale from The New York Times Book Review deemed it indispensable reading on social topics. The book was included in the New York Public Library's Books of the Century. Reviewer Christopher Lehmann-Haupt acknowledged its thoroughness and influence on updating rape legislation, although he considered some portions excessively detailed.
Among its detractors is gay scholar John Lauritsen, who labeled the book inaccurate and reactionary, while Angela Davis pointed out its omission of black women's participation in anti-lynching activism and highlighted instances of racial bias. Anthropologist Donald Symons along with authors Randy Thornhill and Craig T. Palmer contested Brownmiller's interpretations regarding the motivations behind rapists' behavior. Historian Peter Gay acknowledged the book's significance but regarded Brownmiller's assessment of Freud as unjust.
Camille Paglia described the text as well-intentioned yet constrained by perspectives rooted in white middle-class experience. Behavioral ecologist John Alcock disputed Brownmiller’s assertion about the absence of animal rape, referencing pre-1975 evidence of forced copulation in wildlife.
In 2015, Time magazine referred to the book’s central thesis as "startling," calling Against Our Will a "persuasive and powerful depiction of male violence against women."
External links
- Against Our Will: Men, Women and Rape – Official page on the Susan Brownmiller website