Entitled

More about the book

This urgent exploration delves into men's entitlement and its role in policing and punishing women, from the acclaimed author of Down Girl. In this bold critique, philosopher Kate Manne presents a radical framework for understanding misogyny. She examines cultural phenomena, including the Kavanaugh hearings and the case of Harvey Weinstein, illustrating how privileged men's entitlement—to admiration, medical care, bodily autonomy, knowledge, and power—constitutes a pervasive social issue with devastating consequences. Manne's clear prose connects male entitlement to various issues, such as mansplaining, the undertreatment of women's pain, incel mass shootings, and the belief that women are "unelectable." Importantly, she argues that toxic masculinity is not solely the result of a few bad actors; rather, it is perpetuated by societal norms that we all contribute to. To combat this, Manne insists on exposing the flaws in our default thinking and empowering women to assert themselves against entitled attitudes. With wit and intellectual rigor, she sheds new light on gender and power, envisioning a world where women are equally entitled to care and concern.