phallogocentrism
/fəˌlɒɡəˈsɛntɹɪzm̩/
phallogocentrism means the privileging of masculinity in the use of speech, writing or modes of thought; phallocentrism expressed through language. It carries an Arena rating of 964, earned across 130 head-to-head judged battles.
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, phallogocentrism ranks #47 of 13,226 for Most Ponderous Words, #134 of 13,226 for Most Storied Words, #700 of 13,226 for Most Incisive Words, #2,393 of 13,226 for The Improbable.
phallogocentrism is pronounced /fəˌlɒɡəˈsɛntɹɪzm̩/.
Why “phallogocentrism” is a great word
PHALLOGOCENTRISM — [Noun] A critical concept denoting the deep-seated privileging of the masculine principle and of reason or speech as the fundamental structures of language, thought, and writing. From French *phallogocentrisme*, a portmanteau coined by Jacques Derrida in the 1970s (attested in English by 1975), combining *phallo-* (relating to the phallus as a symbol of masculinity) and *logocentrism* (the privileging of speech and reason as central to meaning). Unlike phallocentrism, which focuses on masculine primacy in culture and psyche, or logocentrism, which critiques a presumed stable center of meaning, phallogocentrism argues these structures are inseparable and inherently patriarchal. It is the unexamined grammar that renders 'mankind' synonymous with humanity, the deep assumption that a valid argument must be 'seminal,' and the structuring of all binary opposition around a single, unacknowledged pole of power. The concept reveals that the house of meaning was built, from its foundation up, for a single tenant.
Etymology
From French phallogocentrisme (coined by Derrida), corresponding to phallo- + logocentrism.
noun
- The privileging of masculinity in the use of speech, writing or modes of thought; phallocentrism expressed through language.“The task of this enquiry is to center on – and decenter – such defining institutions: phallogocentrism and compulsory heterosexuality.”
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