Why are the greatest composers always men??

[vladimir_gouldowsky]

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[jknott]

So your third argument amounts to ... male supremacy (clothed of course in the most reasonable-sounding terms).

Why do you need it when you've got the first two?

[vladimir_gouldowsky]

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[vladimir_gouldowsky]

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[thalbergmad]

I'm merely starting from the observation that the best composers are indeed men. 

There is no denying this, but the feminists will be searching for reasons until the end of time as opposed to just accepting the fact that compared to men, women are crap composers.

Women display superiority in many other disciplines including cleaning bogs, defrosting freezers and doing the dishes. They can't be good at everything.

Thal

[outin]

It's clearly a complicated and open question that is likely the combination of many different factors. It's clear that - without attaching any value judgements - there are neurological differences between women and men (see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neuroscience_of_gender_differences). 

Statistical differences, not absolute. You should understand what this means: An average male is different to an average female. It does not mean that every female is different to every male. There's no absolute divide between the sexes in our species. Individuals exist who biologically present traits of both sexes. Doctors will often decide which they will be. If we define people's gender in the traditional way, some "female" will be more like "men" than other females. How common certain traits are in the male or female population surely may affect the probability of an individual rising to the highest level, but individual cases can still occur. Assuming Thal is right and it hasn't happened, it's just by chance and could happen anytime. Or maybe not, since they would have to study and compose romantic era music the way it was done 150 years ago to please Thal

[thalbergmad]

Or maybe not, since they would have to study and compose romantic era music the way it was done 150 years ago to please Thal

They would indeed, as plinkism requires no talent, so it cannot be used as a measurement of greatness.

Thal

[ahinton]

There is no denying this, but the feminists will be searching for reasons until the end of time as opposed to just accepting the fact that compared to men, women are crap composers.

Not only feminists, Thal; anyone looking at this subject rationally might be interested in whether there are any particular neuroscientific arguments to prove this one way or the other.

Women display superiority in many other disciplines including cleaning bogs, defrosting freezers and doing the dishes.

Are you suggesting that men are no good at cleaning toilets? If so, are you suggesting that all males living alone or with male partners need to get a woman in to do this work? Many freezers today are self-defrosting and most people have heard of dishwashers.

They can't be good at everything.

Nor indeed can anyone; for example, there are some people who are no good at avoiding rash and unsupported male chauvinist comment.

Best,

Alistair