fei75766_ch06_179-205.indd 196  02/06/20 11:32 AM
Part II    Psychodynamic Theories196
ForHorney, psychic differences between menandwomen arenottheresult 
ofanatomy butrather ofcultural andsocial expectations. Menwhosubdue andrule
women andwomen whodegrade orenvymendosobecause oftheneurotic competi -
tiveness thatisrampant inmany societies. Horney (1937) insisted thatbasic anxiety 
isatthecoreofmen’s need tosubjugate women andwomen’s wishtohumiliate men.
Although Horney (1939) recognized theexistence oftheOedipus complex, she
insisted thatitwasduetocertain environmental conditions andnotduetobiology. 
Ifitweretheresult ofanatomy, asFreud contended, thenitwould beuniversal (as
Freud indeed believed). However, Horney (1967) sawnoevidence forauniversal 
Oedipus complex. Instead, sheheldthatitisfound onlyinsome people andisan
expression oftheneurotic need forlove.Theneurotic need foraffection andthe
neurotic need foraggression usually begin inchildhood andaretwoofthethree basic 
neurotic trends. Achild maypassionately cling tooneparent andexpress jealousy 
toward theother, butthese behaviors aremeans ofalleviating basic anxiety andnot
manifestations ofananatomically based Oedipus complex. Even when there isasex-
ualaspect tothese behaviors, thechild’s main goalissecurity, notsexual intercourse.
Horney (1939) found theconcept ofpenis envy evenlesstenable. Shecontended 
thatthere isnomore anatomical reason whygirlsshould beenvious ofthepenis than
boysshould desire abreast orawomb. Infact,boyssometimes doexpress adesire to
haveababy, butthisdesire isnottheresult ofauniversal male “womb envy.”
Horney agreed withAdler thatmany women possess amasculine protest ;that
is,theyhaveapathological belief thatmenaresuperior towomen. Thisperception 
easily leads totheneurotic desire tobeaman. Thedesire, however, isnotanexpres -
sionofpenis envybutrather “awishforallthose qualities orprivileges which inour
culture areregarded asmasculine” (Horney, 1939, p.108). (This viewisnearly identi -
caltothatexpressed byErikson.)
In1994, Bernard J.Paris published atalkthatHorney haddelivered in1935 
toaprofessional andbusiness women’s clubinwhich shesummarized herideas 
onfeminine psychology. BythattimeHorney waslessinterested indifferences 
between menandwomen thaninageneral psychology ofbothgenders. Because 
culture andsociety areresponsible forpsychological differences between women 
andmen, Horney feltthat“itwasnotsoimportant totrytofindtheanswer tothe
question about differences astounderstand andanalyze therealsignificance ofthis
keen interest infeminine ‘nature’” (Horney, 1994, p.233). Horney concluded her
speech bysaying that
once andforallweshould stopbothering about what isfeminine andwhat isnot.
Such concerns onlyundermine ourenergies. Standards ofmasculinity andfemininity 
areartificial standards. Allthatwedefinitely know atpresent about sexdifferences 
isthatwedonotknow what theyare.Scientific differences between thetwosexes 
certainly exist, butweshallnever beabletodiscover what theyareuntilwehavefirst
developed ourpotentialities ashuman beings. Paradoxical asitmaysound, weshall
findoutabout these differences onlyifweforget about them. (p.238)
Oneprominent contemporary feminist psychological scientist whohastaken 
upthecause of“forgetting” about gender differences thatKaren Horney soforcefully 
articulated isJanet Shibley Hyde. In2005, shepublished alandmark piece inthe
American Psychologist .Init,instead oftesting thecommonly heldgender differences Final PDF to printer