A Review of Dr Michael Naughton’s ‘Misanthropic Feminism’
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- 5 minutes ago
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Naughton, M. (2025) 'Misanthropic Feminism: How and Why the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) Sexually Discriminates Against Men in Uncorroborated Rape Cases where the Complainant Claims that they were Voluntarily Intoxicated.' Critical Perspectives: Journal of the Institute for Critical Social Theory. 1(2): 75-100. (Click here for the article).
Dr Michael Naughton is one of those rare academics who has the ability to write with a clarity that makes his articles accessible to all. Not for him the obfuscation, jargon and self-congratulation that shouts to his colleagues ‘Look at us, we are clever. We can use big words and write about things most people don’t understand.’ Given that most academic articles are read by only a handful of people and are often hidden behind pay-walls or ‘permissions’, it raises the question ‘what’s the point [of academic articles]?
Dr Naughton’s point is very clear, given the universal access he gives to his work and the fact that his field of expertise is central to our wellbeing as individuals and as a society. He straddles the academic and practical in a way few others accomplish. Coming from a background of the ‘real’ world and ‘real’ work, (no kindergarten–to-doctorate-in-one-step or ivory tower for him), he recognises that we are ALL affected by his topics of interest and research but more - that ideally we should all be involved in understanding and dealing with it. His understanding of the issues at hand is not ‘merely’ theoretical. He explores the intricacies, (dare I say nonsenses), of the law as it has evolved; evolved in the effort to make men specifically and solely accountable for crimes that involve and are, in reality, committed by men and women in equal measure, and how it affects our everyday lives now and in the present.
Meticulously researched, his article can be read here - cp-vol-1-no.-2-1.pdf (pgs 75 – 100),
and an excellent, annotated examination is here -
This deftly introduces the parallel thinking of others on this topic and it is unnecessary to repeat or argue with anything that Sean Bw Parker has had to say. Suffice it to say here that Dr Naughton’s exposition of the double-standards that apply in the execution of the law is refreshingly based in common sense and ‘real world’ experience.
Moving on from simply explaining what is happening to men as a gender and individual men in particular, he introduces new concepts to illustrate exactly how damaging this is, not just to men, not even just to women, but to the whole of humanity, and again, common sense and accessibility are key.
We, as a society need to understand these concepts, understand them, and find a way to deal with them. We, as individuals, need to read this article and share it widely. We ignore it at our peril.
Currently, the monstering of men (and boys) is everywhere we look and as Dr Naughton says, it damages everyone. People are noticing that fewer people, male and female are pursuing relationships, birth rates are plummeting and feminist rhetoric is increasingly shrewish.
Dr Naughton eloquently explains how and why and gives us all, not just his fellow academics, food for thought.
By Felicity Stryjak
Director, Falsely Accused Database (FAD)
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