Contemporary Art and the Enlightenment

Image: Felicity Jones in On the Basis of Sex; Source: IMDb

The 2018 movie, On the Basis of Sex, is based on the life of Ruth Bader Ginsburg (RBG), spanning when she first entered college to the first case of gender discrimination that she argued in front of a court, Moritz v. Commissioner of Internal Revenue.  The feminist movement that occurred in the 1970s that this movie portrays, both in the court and in a few glimpses of protests, highlight many of the ideals that were popular during the Enlightenment Era.

The first quarter of the film speeds through RBG's time in law school and her struggle to find a job as a lawyer.  During this time, she faces discrimination because of her sex, but, despite being obviously angry, she never actually does anything about it.  However, that changes once she encounters a case of gender discrimination against a man.  The rest of the film is dedicated to her struggle to convince people that the case could be won, that improving the conditions in which they live in is possible. 

This theme in the movie, that people should fight to improve their lives and protect their natural rights, was prevalent during the Enlightenment Era.  Along with new scientific discoveries, came new ways of thinking, such as skepticism and reason.  People began to question the authority they had previously obeyed.  Not only did they begin to question, but they also began to demand change, as seen with the American and French Revolutions.  The beginning of On the Basis of Sex portrays that questioning of authority, the realization that something is fundamentally wrong with the law.  The second part shows the road to making change, taking an active role in improving your life, just as people did during the Enlightenment.