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Cooperation Between the Sexes: Writings on Women, Love and Marriage, Sexuality and Its Disorders, by Alfred Adler, is a necessary addition to any comprehensive feminist bibliography. The book contains a detailed presentation of Adler's theory, interspersed with case histories and followed by an examination of these contributions in the light of contemporary developments.
Adler exposed the myth of women's inferiority twenty years before Simone de Beauvoir wrote The Second Sex, laying the groundwork for much of the recent feminist writing. He wrote that “the lesser ability of women is a fable, a lie, which only looks like a truth.” He concluded that male dominance is not a natural thing and that as a result there is an almost universal dissatisfaction with the feminine role. The fallacy of the inferiority of women, and it's corollary, the superiority of men, constantly disturbs the harmony of the sexes. He noted, too, that one of the most important and difficult tasks of life, the rearing of children, is left almost completely to women. Adler saw the solution in a close cooperation between the sexes.
The similarity between Adler's ideas and Karen Horney's theory on feminine psychology is unmistakable. In Adler one can see the seeds of character structure and a recognition of the importance of external influences. However, it was Horney who combined these observations with the dynamic concept of intrapsychic conflict. While this book offers a complete profile of Adler's views on the subjects listed, there is a notable absence of critical comments. That task is left to the reader.