16 Apr Women Wisdom Teachers: Riane Eisler
Riane Eisler (1931 – present) is a philosopher, the author of 13 books, an attorney, a futurist, a systems scientist, and the founder, with her husband, of The Center for Partnership Systems. She has been a widely influential thinker with her view of the different forms of society: the “partnership” and the “dominator,” models, terms which she coined. Dominator cultures normalize violence and are characterized by sexism and racism, while partnership cultures are working to cooperate with others. Eisler has written much about how these types of cultures have evolved throughout history into the present day, affecting all levels of society. These were ideas which had been circulating in feminist circles, and Eisler expanded them, added insights from interdisciplinary investigation, and brought them into the mainstream.
Eisler was born in Vienna, and her family fled the Nazis, eventually ending up in Los Angeles. She has written and been interviewed in over 500 articles. Her books have sold over a half a million copies and been translated into over 30 languages.
Her book Sacred Pleasure asks the question, why did sex, once considered sacred and of the Goddess, become synonymous with evil? Why were women denigrated in this process? In the book, Eisler traces the history of the dominator cultures destroying the goddess religions with their women-centric focus. She talks about the ensuing disparagement of the idea of pleasure, and makes an impassioned argument for its re-placement in the realm of the sacred.
Eisler’s most well-known work is The Chalice and the Blade. She has received many worldwide honors, including three honorary doctorates and being included in the award-winning book Great Peacemakers as one of the 20 most important leaders for world peace.
References
Eisler, R. (1995) Sacred pleasure: Sex, myth, and the politics of the body. Harper One
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