第3章

类别:其他 作者:Charlotte Perkins Gilman字数:27089更新时间:19/01/05 11:20:48
Whatmightwelookforinadistinctlyfeminineinfluence?Whatarethesemuch—dreadedfemininecharacteristics? Thematernalones,ofcourse。Thesexinstinctsofthemaleareofapreliminarynature,leadingmerelytotheunionprecedingparenthood。 Thesexinstinctsofthefemalecoverafarlargerfield,spendingthemselvesmostfullyinthelastinglove,theceaselessservice,theingenuityandcourageofefficientmotherhood。Tofeminizeeducationwouldbetomakeitmoremotherly。Themotherdoesnotrearherchildrenbyasystemofprizestobelongedforandpursued;nordoesshesetthemtocompetewithoneanother,givingtotheconqueringchildwhatheneeds,andtothevanquished,blameanddeprivation。Thatwouldbe\"unfeminine。\" Motherhooddoesallitknowstogivetoeachchildwhatismostneeded,toteachalltotheirfullestcapacity,toaffectionatelyandefficientlydevelopthewholeofthem。 Butthisisnotwhatismeantbythosewhofearsomuchtheinfluenceofwomen。Accustomedtoawhollymalestandardofliving,tomasculineideals,virtues,methodsandconditions,theysay——andsaywithsomejustice——thatfemininemethodsandidealswouldbedestructivetowhattheycall\"manliness。\"Forinstance,educationto—dayiscloselyinterwovenwithgamesandsports,allofanexcessivelymasculinenature。\"Theeducationofaboyiscarriedonlargelyontheplayground!\"saytheobjectorstowomenteachers。Womencannotjointhemthere;therefore,theycannoteducatethem。 Whatgamesaretheseinwhichwomencannotjoin?Thereareformsoffighting,ofcourse,violentandfierce,modernmodificationsoftheinstinctofsex—combat。Itisquitetruethatwomenarenotadapted,orinclined,tobaseballorfootballoranyviolentgame。Theyareperfectlycompetenttotakepartinallnormalathleticdevelopment,thehumanrangeofagilityandskillisopentothem,aseveryoneknowswhohasbeentothecircus;buttheyarenotbuiltforphysicalcombat;nordotheyfindceaselesspleasureinthrowing,hittingorkickingthings。 Butisittruethatthesestrenuousgameshavetheeducationalvalueattributedtothem?Itseemslikeblasphemytoquestionit。Thewholerangeofmaleteachers,malepupils,malecriticsandspectators,areloudintheiradmirationforthe\"manliness\"developedbythecraft,courage,co—ordinativepowerandgeneral\"sportsmanship\"developedbythegameoffootball,forinstance;thatafewyoungmenarekilledandmanymaimed,isnothingincomparisontotheseadvantages。 Letusreviewthethreefolddistinctiononwhichthiswholestudyrests,betweenmasculine,feminineandhuman。Grantthatwoman,beingfeminine,cannotemulatemaninbeingmasculine——anddoesnotwantto。 Grantthatthemasculinequalitieshavetheiruseandvalue,aswellasfeminineones。Therestillremainthehumanqualitiessharedbyboth,ownedbyneither,mostimportantofall。Educationisahumanprocess,andshoulddevelophumanqualities——notsexqualities。Surelyourboysaresufficientlymasculine,withoutneedingaspecialeducationtomakethemmoreso。 Theerrorlieshere。Astrictlymasculineworld,proudofitsownsexanddespisingtheother,seeingnothingintheworldbutsex,eithermaleorfemale,has\"viewedwithalarm\"thesteadyandrapidgrowthofhumanness。Here,forinstance,isaboyvisiblytendingtobeanartist,amusician,ascientificdiscoverer。Hereisanotherboynotparticularlycleverinanyline,norambitiousforanyspecialwork,thoughhemeansinageneralwayto\"succeed\";heis,however,abig,huskyfellow,agoodfighter,mischievousasamonkey,andstronginthevirtuescoveredbytheword\"sportsmanship。\"Thisboywecall\"afinemanlyfellow。\" Wearequiteright。Heis。Heisdistinctlyandexcessivelymale,attheexpenseofhishumanness。Hemaymakeamoreprepotentsirethantheother,thougheventhatisnotcertain;hemay,andprobablywill,appealmorestronglytotheexcessivelyfemininegirl,whohasevenlesshumannessthanhe;butheisnotthereforeabettercitizen。 Theadvanceofcivilizationcallsforhumanqualities,inbothmenandwomen。Oureducationalsystemisthwartedandhindered,notasProf。 Wendellandhislifewouldhaveusbelieve,by\"feminization,\"butbyanoverweeningmasculization。 Theirpositionisasimpleone。\"Wearemen。Menarehumanbeings。 Womenareonlywomen。Thisisaman’sworld。Togetoninityoumustdoitman—fashion——i。e。,fight,andovercometheothers。Beingcivilized,inpart,wemustarrangeasortof\"civilizedwarfare,\"andlearntoplaythegame,theoldcrude,fiercemalegameofcombat,andwemusteducateourboysthereto。\"Nowondereducationwasdeniedtowomen。Nowondertheirinfluenceisdreadedbyanultra—masculineculture。 Itwillchangethesystemintime。Itwillgraduallyestablishanequalplaceinlifeforthefemininecharacteristics,solongbelittledandderided,andgivepre—eminentdignitytothehumanpower。 Physicalculture,forbothboysandgirls,willbepartofsuchamodifiedsystem。Allthingsthatbothcandotogetherwillbeacceptedashuman;butwhateitherboysorgirlshavetoretireaparttopracticewillbefranklycalledmasculineandfeminine,andnotencouragedinchildren。 Themostimportantqualitiesarethehumanones,andwillbesonamedandhonored。Courageisahumanquality,notasex—quality。Whatiscommonlycalledcourageinmaleanimalsismerebelligerence,thefightinginstinct。Tomeetanadversaryofhisownsortisauniversalmasculinetrait;twofathercatsmayfightfiercelyeachother,butbothwillrunfromadogasquicklyasamothercat。Shehascourageenough,however,indefenceofherkittens。 Whatthisworldmostneedsto—dayinbothmenandwomen,isthepowertorecognizeourpublicconditions;toseetherelativeimportanceofmeasures;tolearntheprocessesofconstructivecitizenship。Weneedaneducationwhichshallgiveitsfactsintheorderoftheirimportance;moralsandmannersbasedonthesefacts;andtrainourpersonalpowerswithcarefulselection,sothateachmaybestservethecommunity。 Atpresent,inthelargerprocessesofextra—scholasticeducation,theadvantageisstillwiththeboy。Frominfancywemakethegrossmistakeofaccentuatingsexinourchildren,bydressandallitslimitations,byspecialteachingofwhatis\"ladylike\"and\"manly。\"Theboyisallowedafreedomofexperiencefarbeyondthegirl。Helearnsmoreofhistownandcity,moreofmachinery,moreoflife,passingonfromfathertosonthetruthsaswellastraditionsofsexsuperiority。 Allthisischangingbeforeoureyes,withtheadvancinghumannessofwomen。Notyet,however,hastheiradvanceaffected,toanylargeextent,thebaseofalleducation;theexperienceofachild’sfirstyears。Hereiswherethelimitationsofwomenhavecheckedraceprogressmostthoroughly。Herehereditaryinfluencewasconstantlyoffsetbytheadvanceofthemale。Socialselectiondiddevelophighertypesofmen,thoughsex—selectionreversedstillinsistedonprimitivetypesofwomen。Buttheeducativeinfluenceoftheseprimitivewomen,actingmostexclusivelyonthemostsusceptibleyearsoflife,hasbeenaseriousdeterrenttoraceprogress。 Hereisthedominantmale,largelyhumanized,yetstillmeasuringlifefrommalestandards。Heseeswomenonlyasasex。(NoteherethecriticismofEuropeansonAmericanwomen。\"Yourwomenaresosexless!\" theysay,meaningmerelythatourwomenhavehumanqualitiesaswellasfeminine。)Andchildrenheconsidersaspartandparcelofthesamedomain,bothinferiorclasses,\"womenandchildren。\" IrecallinRimmer’sbeautifulredchalkstudies,certainprofilesofman,womanandchild,andcarefulexplanationthattheproportionofthewoman’sfaceandheadwerefarmoreakintothechildthantotheman。 WhatMr。Rimmershouldhaveshown,andcouldhave,byprofuseillustration,wasthatthefacesofboyandgirldifferbutslightly,andthefacesofoldmenandwomendifferaslittle,sometimesnotatall;whilethefaceofthewomanapproximatesthehumanmorecloselythanthatoftheman;whilethechild,representingracemorethansex,isnaturallymoreakintoherthantohim。Themalereservesmoreprimitivequalities,thehairiness,themorepugnaciousjaw;thefemaleisnearertothehigherhumantypes。 Anultra—maleselectionhaschosenwomenfortheirfemininityfirst,andnextforqualitiesofsubmissivenessandpatientservicebredbylongagesofservility。 Thisservilewomanhood,ortheidlerandmoreexcessivelyfemininetype,hasneverappreciatedtherealpowerandplaceofthemother,andhasneverbeenabletograsportocarryoutanyworthysystemofeducationforlittlechildren。Anyexperiencedteacher,manorwoman,willownhowrareitistofindamothercapableofadispassionateappreciationofeducativevalues。Booksininfanteducationandchildculturegenerallyarereadbyteachersmorethanmothers,soourpubliclibrariesprove。Themother—instinct,quitesuitableandsufficientinanimals,isbynomeansequaltotherequirementsofcivilizedlife。 Animalmotherhoodfurnishesafreshwaveofdevotionforeachnewbirth; primitivehumanmotherhoodextendsthatpassionatetendernessoverthegrowingfamilyforalongerperiod;butneithercancarryeducationbeyonditsrudiments。 Soaccustomedarewetoourworld—oldmethodofentrustingthefirstyearsofthechildtotheactionofuntaught,unbridledmother—instinct,thatsuggestionsastoabettereducationforbabiesarereceivedwiththefrankderisionofmassedignorance。 Thatpowerfulandbrilliantwriter,Mrs。JosephineDaskamBacon,amongothershaslentherablepentoridiculeandobstructthegradualawakeningofhumanintelligenceinmothers,therecognitionthatbabiesarenoexceptiontotherestofusinbeingbetteroffforcompetentcareandservice。Itseemsdelightfullyabsurdtothesereactionariesthatagesofhumanprogressshouldbeofanybenefittobabies,save,indeed,astheirmorehumanfathers,specializedandorganized,areabletoprovidethemwithbetterhomesandabetterworldtogrowupin。Theideathatmothers,morehuman,shouldspecializeandorganizeaswell,andextendtotheirbabiesthesesupremeadvantages,ismadealaughingstock。 Itiseasyandprofitabletolaughwiththemajority;butinthejudgmentofhistory,thosewhodoso,holdunenviablepositions。Thetimeiscomingwhenthehumanmotherwillrecognizetheeducativepossibilitiesofearlychildhood,learnthattheabilitytorightlyteachlittlechildrenisrareandprecious,andbeproudandgladtoavailthemselvesofit。 Weshallthenseeadevelopmentofthemostvaluablehumanqualitiesinourchildren’smindssuchaswouldnowseemwildlyUtopian。Weshalllearnfromwideandlongexperiencetoanticipateandprovideforthestepsoftheunfoldingmind,andtrainit,throughcarefullyprearrangedexperiences,toapowerofjudgment,ofself—control,ofsocialperception,nowutterlyunthoughtof。 Suchaneducationwouldbeginatbirth;yes,farbeforeit,inthestandardsofaconscioushumanmotherhood。Itwouldrequireaquitedifferentstatusofwifehood,womanhood,girlhood。Itwouldbewhollyimpossibleifwewerenevertooutgrowourandrocentricculture。 OURANDROCENTRICCULTURE;or,THEMAN—MADEWORLD IX。 \"SOCIETY\"AND\"FASHION\" Amongourmanynaivemisbeliefsisthecurrentfallacythat\"society\"ismadebywomen;andthatwomenareresponsibleforthatpeculiarsocialmanifestationcalled\"fashion。\" Menandwomenalikeacceptthisnotion;theseriousessayistandphilosopher,aswellasthenovelistandparagrapher,reflectitintheirpages。Theforceofinertiaactsinthedomainofpsychicsaswellasphysics;anyideapushedintothepopularmindwithconsiderableforcewillkeepongoinguntilsomeopposingforce——ortheslowresistanceoffriction——stopsitatlast。 \"Society\"consistsmostlyofwomen。Womencarryonmostofitsprocesses,thereforewomenareitsmakersandmasters,theyareresponsibleforit,thatisthegeneralbelief。 Wemightaswellholdwomenresponsibleforharems——orprisonersforjails。Tobehelplesslyconfinedtoagivenplaceorconditiondoesnotprovethatonehaschosenit;muchlessmadeit。 No;inanandrocentricculture\"society,\"likeeveryothersocialrelation,isdominatedbythemaleandarrangedforhisconvenience。 Thereare,ofcourse,modificationsduetothepresenceoftheothersex;wheretherearemorewomenthanmenthereareinevitableresultsoftheirinfluence;butthecharacterandconditionsofthewholeperformancearedictatedbymen。 Socialintercourseistheprimeconditionofhumanlife。Tomeet,tomingle,toknowoneanother,toexchange,notonlydefiniteideas,facts,andfeelings,buttoexperiencethatvaguegeneralstimulusandenlargedpowerthatcomesofcontact——allthisisessentialtoourhappinessaswellastoourprogress。 Thisgranddesideratumhasalwaysbeenmonopolizedbymenasfaraspossible。Whatintercoursewasallowedtowomenhasbeenrigidlyhemmeditsbyman—madeconventions。Womenaccepttheseconventions,repeatthem,enforcethemupontheirdaughters;buttheyoriginatewithmen。 ThefeetofthelittleChinesegirlareboundbyhermotherandhernurse——butitisnotforwoman’spleasurethatthiscripplingtorturewasinvented。TheOrientalveiliswornbywomen,butitisnotforanyneedoftheirsthatveilsweredecreedthem。 Whenwelookatsocietyinitsearlierformwefindthatthepublichousehasalwaysbeenwithus。Itisasoldalmostastheprivatehouse;theneedforassociationisashumanastheneedforprivacy。 Butthepublichousewas——andis——formenonly。Thewomanwaskeptasfaraspossibleathome。Herfemalenaturewassupposedtodelimitherlifesatisfactorily,andherhumanstaturewascompletelyignored。 Underthepressureofthathumannatureshehasalwaysrebelledatthesocialrestrictionswhichsurroundedher;andfromthewomenofolderlandsgatheredatthewell,orinthemarketplace,toourownwomenonthechurchstepsorinthesewingcircle,theyhaveceaselesslystruggledforthesocialintercoursewhichwasasmuchalawoftheirbeingasofman’s。 Whenwecometothemodernspecialfieldthatwecall\"society,\"wefindittoconsistofacarefullyarrangedsetofprocessesandplaceswhereinwomenmaymeetoneanotherandmeetmen。Thesevary,ofcourse,withrace,country,class,andperiod;fromthecleanlicenceofourwesterncustomstothestrictchaperonageofolderlands;butfreeasitisinAmerica,evenheretherearebounds。 Menassociatewithoutanylimitbutthatofinclinationandfinancialcapacity。Evenclassdistinctiononlyworksoneway——thelow—classmanmaynotminglewithhigh—classwomen;butthehigh—classmanmay——anddoes——minglewithlow—classwomen。Itishissociety——maynotamandowhathewillwithhisown? Castedistinctions,ashavebeenablyshownbyProf。LesterF。Ward,arerelicsofracedistinction;thesubordinatecastewasonceasubordinaterace;andwhilemating,upward,wasalwaysforbiddentothesubjectrace;mating,downward,wasalwayspracticedbythemasterrace。 Theelaborateshadingof\"thecolorline\"inslaverydays,frompureblackupthroughmulatto,quadroon,octoroon,quinteroon,griffada,mustafee,mustee,andsangd’or——towhiteagain;wasnotthroughwhitemothers——butwhitefathers;nevertooexclusiveintheirtastes。Eveninslavery,theworsthorrorswerestrictlyandrocentric。 \"Society\"isstrictlyguarded——thatisitswomenare。Asalways,themaintabuisonthewoman。Considercarefullytherelationbetween\"society\"andthegrowinggirl。Shemust,ofcourse,marry;andhereducation,manners,character,mustofcoursebepleasingtotheprospectivewooer。Thatwhichisdesirableinyounggirlsmeans,naturally,thatwhichisdesirabletomen。Ofallcultivatedaccomplishmentsthefirstis\"innocence。\"Beautymayormaynotbeforthcoming;but\"innocence\"is\"thechiefcharmofgirlhood。\" Why?Whatgooddoesitdo_her?_Herwholelife’ssuccessismadetodependonhermarrying;herhealthandhappinessdependsonhermarryingtherightman。Themore\"innocent\"sheis,thelesssheknows,theeasieritisforthewrongmantogether。 Asissofeelinglydescribedin\"TheSorrowsofAmelia,\"in\"TheLadies’ LiteraryCabinet,\"amagazinetakenbymygrandmother;\"TheonlyfoiblewhichthedelicateAmeliapossessedwasanunsuspectingbreasttolavishesteem。Unversedinthesecretvillaniesofabasedegenerateworld,sheeverimaginedallmankindtobeasspotlessasherself。AlasforAmelia!Thisfatalcredulitywasthesourceofallhermisfortunes。\" Itwas。Itisyet。 Justfacethefactswithneweyes——lookatitasifyouhadneverseen\"society\"before;andobservethepositionofits\"Queen。\" HereisWoman。LetusgrantthatMotherhoodisherchiefpurpose。(Asafemaleitis。Asahumanbeingshehasothers!)Marriageisourwayofsafeguardingmotherhood;ofensuring\"support\"and\"protection\"tothewifeandchildren。 \"Society\"isverylargelyusedasameanstobringtogetheryoungpeople,topromotemarriage。If\"society\"ismadeandgovernedbywomenweshouldnaturallylooktoseeitsrestrictionsandencouragementssuchaswouldputapremiumonsuccessfulmaternityandprotectwomen——andtheirchildren——fromtheevilsofill—regulatedfatherhood。 Dowefindthis?Bynomeans。 \"Society\"allowsthemanallliberty——allprivilege——alllicense。Therearecertainoffenceswhichwouldexcludehim;suchasnotpayinggamblingdebts,orbeingpoor;butoffencesagainstwomanhood——againstmotherhood——donotexcludehim。 Howaboutthereverse? If\"society\"ismadebywomen,forwomen,surelyamisstepbyahelplessly\"innocent\"girl,willnotinjureherstanding! Butitdoes。Sheisnolonger\"innocent。\"Sheknowsnow。Shehaslosthermarketvalueandisthrownoutoftheshop。Whynot?Itishisshop——nothers。Whatwomenmayandmaynotbe,whattheymustandmustnotdo,allismeasuredfromthemasculinestandard。 Areallyfeminine\"society\"basedontheneedsandpleasuresofwomen,bothasfemalesandashumanbeings,wouldinthefirstplaceaccordthemfreedomandknowledge;theknowledgewhichispower。Itwouldnotshowus\"thequeenoftheballroom\"inthepositionofawall—flowerunlessfavoredbymasculineinvitation;unabletoeatunlesshebringshersomething;unabletocrossthefloorwithouthisarm。Ofallblindstultified\"royalsluggards\"sheisthearchetype。No,afemininesocietywouldgrant_atleast_equalitytowomeninthis,theirso—calledspecialfield。 Itsattitudetowardmen,however,wouldberigidlycritical。 FancyarealMrs。Grundy(uptodateithasbeenaMr。,hiswhiskershidincapstrings)saying,\"No,no,youngman。Youwon’tdo。You’vebeendrinking。Thehabit’sgrowingonyou。You’llmakeabadhusband。\" Orstillmoreseverely,\"Outwithyou,sir!You’veforfeitedyourrighttomarry!Gointoretirementforsevenyears,andwhenyoucomebackbringadoctor’scertificatewithyou。\" Thatsoundsridiculous,doesn’tit——for\"Society\"tosay?Itisridiculous,inaman’s\"society。\" Therequireddressanddecorationof\"society\";theeverlastingeatinganddrinkingof\"society,\"thepreferredamusementsof\"society,\"theabsoluterequirementsandabsoluteexclusionsof\"society,\"areofmen,bymen,formen,——toparaphraseathreadbarequotation。Andthen,uponallthatvastedificeofmasculineinfluence,theyturnuponwomenasAdamdid;andblame_them_forseveritywiththeirfallensisters! \"Womenaresoharduponwomen!\" Theyhavetobe。Whatmanwould\"allow\"hiswife,hisdaughters,tovisitandassociatewith\"thefallen\"?Hisesteemwouldbeforfeited,theywouldlosetheir\"socialposition,\"thegirl’schanceofmarryingwouldbegone。 Menarenotsostern。Theymayvisittheunfortunatewomen,tobringthemhelp,sympathy,re—establishment——orforotherreasons;anditdoesnotforfeittheirsocialposition。Whyshouldit?Theymaketheregulation。 Womenareto—day,farmoreconspicuouslythanmen,theexponentsandvictimsofthatmysteriouspowerwecall\"Fashion。\"Asshowninmerehelplessimitationofoneanother’sidea,customs,methods,thereisnotmuchdifference;inpatientacquiescencewithprescribedmodelsofarchitecture,furniture,literature,oranythingelse;thereisnotmuchdifference;butinpersonaldecorationthereisamostconspicuousdifference。Womendoto—daysubmittomoregrotesqueuglinessandabsurditythanmen;andthereareplentyofgoodreasonsforit。 Confiningourbriefstudyoffashiontofashionindress,letusobservewhyitisthatwomenwearthesefineclothesatall;andwhytheychangethemastheydo。 First,andveryclearly,thehumanfemalecarriestheweightofsexdecoration,solelybecauseofhereconomicdependenceonthemale。Shealoneinnatureaddstotheburdensofmaternity,whichshewasmeantfor,thisunnaturalburdenofornament,whichshewasnotmeantfor。 Everyotherfemaleintheworldissufficientlyattractivetothemalewithouttrimmings。Hecarriesthetrimmings,sparingnoexpenseofspreadingantlersortrailingplumes;nomonstrosityofcrestandwattles,towinherfavor。 Sheisonlytemporarilyinterestedinhim。Therestofthetimesheisgettingherownliving,andcaringforherownyoung。Butourwomengettheirbreadfromtheirhusbands,andeveryothersocialneed。Thewomandependsonthemanforherpositioninlife,aswellasthenecessitiesofexistence。Forherselfandforherchildrenshemustwinandholdhimwhoisthesourceofallsupplies。Thereforesheisforcedtoaddtoherownnaturalattractionsthis\"danceofthesevenveils,\"oftheseventeengowns,oftheseventy—sevenhatsofgaydelirium。 Therearemanywhothinkinonesyllable,whosay,\"womendon’tdresstopleasemen——theydresstopleasethemselves——andtooutshineotherwomen。\"TotheseIwouldsuggestavisittosomesummershoreresortduringtheweekandextendingoverSaturdaynight。Thewomenhavealltheweektopleasethemselvesandoutshineoneanother;buttheirarrayonSaturdayseemstoindicatetheapproachofsomenewforceorattraction。 IfallthisdoesnotsatisfyIwouldthencalltheirattentiontothewell—knownfactthattheyoungdamselprevioustomarriagespendsfarmoretimeandingenuityindecorationthanshedoesafterward。ThishaslongbeenobservedanddeprecatedbythosewhowriteAdvicetoWives,onthegroundthatthisdifferenceisdispleasingtothehusband——thatshelosesherinfluenceoverhim;whichistrue。Butsincehisown\"society,\"knowinghisweakness,hastiedhimtoherbylaw;whyshouldshekeepupwhatisafterallanunnaturalexertion? Thatexcellentmagazine\"GoodHousekeeping\"hasbeenrunningforsomemonthsarhymedandillustratedstoryof\"MissMelissaClarissaMcRae,\" anextremelydaintyandwell—dressedstenographer,whocapturedandmarriedafastidiousyoungman,heremployer,bytheforceofherartificialattractions——andthenlosthisloveaftermarriagebyasuddenunaccountableslovenliness——thesameoldstory。 Ifthisinnotenough,letmeinstancefurthertheattitudetoward\"Fashion\"ofthatclassofwomenwholivemostopenlyanddirectlyuponthefavorofmen。Theseknowtheirbusiness。Tocontinuallyattractthevagrantfancyofthemale,nature’sborn\"variant,\"theymustnotonlypileonartificialcharms,butchangethemconstantly。Theydo。 Fromtheleadersofthisprofessioncomesasteadystreamofchangingfashions;themoreextremeandbizarre,themoresuccessful——andbecausetheyaresuccessfultheyareimitated。 Ifmendidnotlikechangesinfashionbeassuredtheseprofessionalmen—pleaserswouldnotchangethem,butsinceNature’sVarianttiresofanyfaceinfavorofanewone,theladywhowouldholdherswayandcannotchangeherface(exceptincolor)mustneedschangeherhatandgown。 ButtheArbiter,theRulingCause,hewhonotonlybychoicedemands,butasabusinessmanufacturesandsuppliesthisamazingstreamoffashions;againlikeAdamblamesthewoman——foracceptingwhathebothdemandsandsupplies。 Afurtherproof,ifmorewereneeded,isshowninthis;thatinexactproportionaswomengrowindependent,educated,wiseandfree,dotheybecomelesssubmissivetomen—madefashions。Wasthisimprovementhailedwithsympathyandadmiration——crownedwithmasculinefavor? Theattitudeofmentowardthosewomenwhohavesofarpresumedto\"unsexthemselves\"isknowntoall。Theylikewomentobefoolish,changeable,alwaysnewlyattractive;andwhilewomenmust\"attract\"foraliving——whytheydo,that’sall。 Itisapity。Itishumiliatingtoanyfar—seeingwomantohavetorecognizethisglaringproofofthedependent,degradedpositionofhersex;anditoughttobehumiliatingtomentoseetheresultsoftheirmastery。Thesecrazilydecoratedlittlecreaturesdonotrepresentwomanhood。 Whentheartistusesthewomanasthetypeofeveryhighestideal;asJustice,Liberty,Charity,Truth——hedoesnotrepresenthertrimmed。Inanypartoftheworldwherewomenareeveninparteconomicallyindependenttherewefindlessoftheabsurditiesoffashion。Womenwhoworkcannotbeutterlyabsurd。 Buttheidlewoman,theQueenofSociety,whomustpleasemenwithintheirprescribedbounds;andthoseofthehalf—world,whomustpleasethematanycost——thesearethevehiclesoffashion。 OURANDROCENTRICCULTURE;or,THEMAN~MADEWORLD X。 LAWANDGOVERNMENT。 Itiseasytoassumethatmenarenaturallythelawmakersandlaw—enforcers,undertheplainhistoricfactthattheyhavebeensuchsincethebeginningofthepatriarchate。 Backoflawliescustomandtradition。Backofgovernmentliesthecorrelativeactivityofanyorganizedgroup。Whatgroup—insectsandgroup—animalsevolveunconsciouslyandfulfillbytheirsocialinstincts,weevolveconsciouslyandfulfillbyarbitrarysystemscalledlawsandgovernments。Inthis,asinallotherfieldsofouraction,wemustdiscriminatebetweenthehumannessofthefunctioninprocessofdevelopment,andtheinfluenceofthemaleorfemaleuponit。Quiteapartfromwhattheymaylikeordislikeassexes,fromtheirdifferingtastesandfaculties,liesthemuchlargerfieldofhumanprogress,inwhichtheyequallyparticipate。 Onthisplanetheevolutionoflawandgovernmentproceedssomewhatasfollows:——Theearlywoman—centeredgrouporganizedonmaternallinesofcommonloveandservice。Theearlycombinationsofmenwerefirstagroupedpredacity——organizedhunting;thenagroupedbelligerency,——organizedwarfare。 Byspecialdevelopmentsomemindsareabletoperceivetheneedofcertainlinesofconductoverothers,andtomakethiscleartotheirfellows;whereby,gradually,ourhighersocialnatureestablishesrulesandprecedentstowhichwepersonallyagreetosubmit。Theprocessofsocialdevelopmentisoneofprogressiveco—ordination。 Fromindependentindividualactionforindividualends,uptointerdependentsocialactionforsocialendsweslowlymove;the\"devil\" intheplaybeingtheoldEgo,whichhastobeharmonizedwiththenewsocialspirit。Thissocialprocess,likeallothers,havingbeeninmasculinehands,wemayfindinitthesamemarksofone—sidedSpecializationsovisibleinourpreviousstudies。 Thecoersiveattitudeisessentiallymale。Intheceaselessage—oldstruggleofsexcombathedevelopedthedesiretoovercome,whichisalwaysstimulatedbyresistance;andinthislaterhistoricperiodofhissupremacy,hefurtherdevelopedthehabitofdominanceandmastery。 Wemayinstancethecontrastbetweentheconductofamanwhen\"inlove\" andwhilecourting;inwhichperiodhefallsintothenaturalpositionofhissextowardstheother——namely,thatofawooer;andhisbehaviorwhen,withmarriage,theyenterthe,artificialrelationofthemastermaleandservilefemale。His\"instinctofdominance\"doesnotassertitselfduringtheearlierperiod,whichwasamilliontimeslongerthanthelatter;itonlyappearsinthemoremodernandarbitraryrelation。 Amongotheranimalsmonogamousunionisnotaccompaniedbyanysuchdiscordantandunnaturalfeatures。Howeverrecentasthishabitiswhenconsideredbiologically,itisasoldascivilizationwhenweconsiderithistorically:quiteoldenoughtobeaseriousforce。Underitspressureweseethelegalsystemsandformsofgovernmentslowlyevolving,thegeneralhumangrowthalwaysheavilypervertedbythespecialmasculineinfluence。Firstwefindthemereforceofcustomgoverningus,the_mores_oftheancientpeople。Thencomesthegradualappearanceofauthority,fromthepurelynaturalleadershipofthebesthunterorfighterupthroughtheunnaturalmasteryofthepatriarch,owningandgoverninghiswives,children,slavesandcattle,andmakingsuchrulesandregulationsaspleasedhim。 Ourlawsaswesupportthemnowareslow,wasteful,cumbroussystems,whichrequireaspecialcastetointerpretandanothertoenforce; whereintheaveragecitizenknowsnothingofthelaw,andcaresonlytoevadeitwhenhecan,obeyitwhenhemust。Inthehousehold,thatstunted,crippledrudimentofthematriarchate,wherealonewecanfindwhatisleftofthenaturalinfluenceofwoman,thelawsandgovernment,sofarassheisresponsibleforthem,arefairlysimple,andbearvisiblerelationtothecommongood,whichrelationisclearlyandpersistentlytaught。 Inthelargerhouseholdofcityandstatetheeducationalpartofthelawisgrievouslyneglected。Itmakesnoallowanceforignorance。Ifamanbreaksalawofwhichheneverheardheisnotexcusedtherefore; thepenaltyrollsonjustthesame。Fancyamothermakingsolemnrulesandregulationsforherfamily,tellingthechildrennothingaboutthem,andthenpunishingthemwhentheydisobeyedtheunknownlaws! Theuseofforceisnaturaltothemale;whileasahumanbeinghemustneedslegislatesomewhatintheinterestsofthecommunity,asamalebeingheseesnonecessityforotherenforcementthanbypenalty。Toviolentlyoppose,tofight,totrampletotheearth,totriumphinloudbellowingsofsavagejoy,——thesearetheprimitivemaleinstincts;andtheperfectlynaturalsocialinstinctwhichleadstopeacefulpersuasion,toeducation,toaneasyharmonyofaction,arecontemptuouslyrankedas\"feminine,\"oras\"philanthropic,\"——whichisalmostasbad。\"Menneedstrongermeasures\"theysayproudly。Yes,butfour—fifthsoftheworldarewomenandchildren! Asamatteroffactthewoman,themother,isthefirstco—ordinator,legislator,administratorandexecutive。Fromtheguardingandguidanceofhercubsandkittensuptothelonger,largermanagementofhumanyouth,sheisthefirsttoconsidergroupinterestsandco—relatethem。 Asafatherthemalegrowstoshareintheseoriginalfemininefunctions,andwithus,fatherhoodhavingbecomesocializedwhilemotherhoodhasnot,hedoesthebesthecan,alone,todotheworld’smother—workinhisfatherway。 Instudyofanylongestablishedhumancustomitisverydifficulttoseeitclearlyanddispassionately。Ourmindsareheavilyloadedwithprecedent,withrace—custom,withtheironweightcalledauthority。 Theseheavyforcesreachtheirmostperfectexpressionintheabsolutelymasculinefieldofwarfare。Theabsoluteauthority;thebrainless,voicelessobedience;therelentlesspenalty。Herewehavemalecoercionatitsheight;lawandgovernmentwhollyarbitrary。Theresultisasmightbeexpected,afinemachineofdestruction。Butdestructionisnotahumanprocess——merelyamaleprocessofeliminatingtheunfit。 Thefemaleprocessistoselectthefit;hereliminationisnegativeandpainless。 Greaterthaneitheristhehumanprocess,to_developfitness。_ Menareatpresentfarmorehumanthanwomen。Aloneupontheirself—seizedthronestheyhavecarriedasbesttheymighttheburdensofthestate;andthehistoryoflawandgovernmentshowsthemaschangingslowlybutirresistablyinthedirectionofsocialimprovement。 Theancientkingswerethejoyousapotheosisofmasculinity。PowerandPrideweretheirs;LimitlessDisplay;BoundlessSelf—indulgence; IrresistableAuthority。Slavesandcourtiersbowedbeforethem,subjectsobeyedthem,captivewomenfilledtheirharems。Butthedayofthemasculinemonarchyispassing,andthedayofthehumandemocracyiscomingin。InaDemocracyLawandGovernmentbothchange。Lawsarenolongerimposedonthepeoplebyoneabovethem,butareevolvedfromthepeoplethemselves。Howabsurdthatthepeopleshouldnotbeeducatedinthelawstheymake;thatthetrailingremnantsofblindsubmissionshouldstillbecloudtheirmindsandmakethembowdownpatientlyundertheabsurdpressureofoutgrowntradition! Democraticgovernmentisnolongeranexerciseofarbitraryauthorityfromoneabove,butisanorganizationforpublicserviceofthepeoplethemselves——orwillbewhenitisreallyattained。 Inthischangegovernmentceasestobecompulsion,andbecomesagreement;lawceasestobeauthorityandbecomesco—ordination。Whenwelearntherulesofwhistorchesswedonotobeythembecausewefeartobepunishedifwedon’t,butbecausewewanttoplaythegame。Therulesofhumanconductareforourownhappinessandservice——anychildcanseethat。Everychildwillseeitwhenlawsaresimplified,basedonsociology,andtaughtinschools。Achildoftenshouldbeconsideredgrosslyuneducatedwhocouldnotrewritethemainfeaturesofthelawsofhiscountry,state,andcity;andthoselawsshouldbesosimpleintheirprinciplesthatachildoftencouldunderstandthem。 Teacher:\"Whatisatax?\" Child:\"Ataxisthemoneyweagreetopaytokeepupourcommonadvantages。\" Teacher:\"Whydoweallpaytaxes?\" Child:\"Becausethecountrybelongstoallofus,andwemustallpayoursharetokeepitup。\" Teacher:\"Inwhatproportiondowepaytaxes?\" Child:\"Inproportiontohowmuchmoneywehave。\"(_Sottovoce_:\"Ofcourse!\") Teacher:\"Whatisittoevadetaxes?\" Child:\"Itistreason。\"(_Sottovoce_:\"Andadirtymeantrick。\") Inmasculineadministrationofthelawswemayfollowtheinstinctiveloveofbattledownthroughthecustomof\"trialbycombat\"——onlyrecentlyoutgrown,toourpresentmethod,whereeachcontendingpartyhiresachampiontorepresenthim,andthesefightitoutinawordywar,withtricksanddevicesofcomplexingenuity,enjoyingthiskindofstruggleastheyenjoyallotherkinds。 Itistheoldmasculinespiritofgovernmentasauthoritywhichissoslowinadaptingitselftothedemocraticideaofgovernmentasservice。 Thatitshouldbearepresentativegovernmenttheygrasp,butrepresentativeofwhat?ofthecommonwill,theysay;thewillofthemajority;——neverthinkingthatitisthecommongood,thecommonwelfare,thatgovernmentshouldrepresent。 Itistheinextricablemasculinityinourideaofgovernmentwhichsorevoltsattheideaofwomenasvoters。\"Togovern:\"thatmeanstoboss,tocontrol,tohaveauthority;andthatonly,tomostminds。Theycannotbeartothinkofthewomanashavingcontrolovereventheirownaffairs;tocontrolismasculine,theyassume。Seeingonlyself—interestasanaturalimpulse,andtherulingpowersofthestateasasortofumpire,anauthoritytopreservetherulesofthegamewhilemenfightitoutforever;theyseeinademocracymerelyawiderrangeofselfinterest,andawider,freerfieldtofightin。 Thelawdictatestherules,thegovernmentenforcesthem,butthemainbusinessoflife,hitherto,hasbeenesteemedasonelongfiercestruggle;eachmanseekingforhimself。Todeliberatelylegislatefortheserviceofallthepeople,tousethegovernmentasthemainengineofthatservice,isanewprocess,whollyhuman,anddifficultofdevelopmentunderanandrocentricculture。 Furthermoretheyputforththosenaivelyandrocentricprotests,——womencannotfight,andincasetheirlawswereresistedbymentheycouldnotenforcethem,——_therefore_theyshouldnotvote! Whattheydonotsoplainlysay,butverystronglythink,isthatwomenshouldnotsharethelootwhichtotheirmindsissolargeapartofpolitics。 Herewemaytraceclearlythesocialheredityofmalegovernment。 Fixclearlyinyourmindthefirsthead—shipofman——theleaderofthepackasitwere——theChiefHunter。Thenthesecondhead—ship,theChiefFighter。Thenthethirdhead—ship,theChiefoftheFamily。ThenthelonglineofChiefsandCaptains,WarlordsandLandlords,RulersandKings。 TheHunterhuntedforprey,andgotit。TheFighterenrichedhimselfwiththespoilsofthevanquished。ThePatriarchlivedonthelaborofwomenandslaves。Alldowntheages,fromfrankpiracyandrobberytothemeasuredtolloftribute,ransomandindemnity,weseethesamenaturalinstinctofthehunterandfighter。Inhishandsthegovernmentisathingtosapandwreck,toliveon。Itishisessentialimpulsetowantsomethingverymuch;tostruggleandfightforit;totakeallhecanget。 Setagainstthisthegivinglovethatcomeswithmotherhood;theendlessservicethatcomesofmotherhood;thepeacefuladministrationintheinterestofthefamilythatcomesofmotherhood。Wepratemuchofthefamilyastheunitofthestate。Ifitis——whynotrunthestateonthatbasis?Governmentbywomen,sofarasitisinfluencedbytheirsex,wouldbeinfluencedbymotherhood;andthatwouldmeancare,nurture,provision,education。Wehavetogofardownthescaleforanyinstanceoforganizedmotherhood,butwedofinditinthehymenoptera; intheoverflowingindustry,prosperity,peaceandlovingserviceoftheant—hillandbee—hive。Thesearethemosthighlysocializedtypesoflife,nexttoours,andtheyarefemininetypes。 Weashumanbeingshaveafarhigherformofassociation,withfurtherissuesthanmerewealthandpropagationofthespecies。Inthishumanprocessweshouldneverforgetthatmenarefarmoreadvancedthanwomen,atpresent。Becauseoftheirhumannesshascomeallthenoblegrowthofcivilization,inspiteoftheirmaleness。 Ashumanbeingsbothmaleandfemalestandalikeusefulandhonorable,andshouldinourgovernmentbealikeusedandhonored;butascreaturesofsex,thefemaleisfitterthanthemaleforadministrationofconstructivesocialinterests。Thechangeingovernmentalprocesseswhichmarksourtimesisachangeinprinciple。Twogreatmovementsconvulsetheworldto—day,thewoman’smovementandthelabormovement。 Eachregardstheotherasoflessmomentthanitself。Botharepartsofthesameworld—process。 Weareenteringuponaperiodofsocialconsciousness。Whereassofaralmostallofushaveseenlifeonlyasindividuals,andhaveregardedthegrowingstrengthandrichesofthesocialbodyasmerelysomuchthemoretofattenon;nowwearebeginningtotakeanintelligentinterestinoursocialnature,tounderstanditalittle,andtobegintofeelthevastincreaseofhappinessandpowerthatcomesofrealHumanLife。 Inthischangeofsystemsagovernmentwhichconsistedonlyofprohibitionandcommands;oftaxcollectingandmakingwar;israpidlygivingwaytoasystemwhichintelligentlymanagesourcommoninterests,whichisagrowingandimprovingmethodofuniversalservice。Herethesocialistisperfectlyrightinhisvisionoftheeconomicwelfaretobeassuredbythesocializationofindustry,thoughthatisbutpartofthenewdevelopment;andtheindividualistwhoopposessocialism,cryingloudlyfortheadvantageof\"freecompetition\"isbutvoicingthespiritofthepredaciousmale。 Sowiththeopposerstothesuffrageofwomen。Theyrepresent,whethermenorwomen,themaleviewpoint。Theyseethewomanonlyasafemale,utterlyabsorbedinfemininefunctions,belittledandignoredasherlongtutelagehasmadeher;andtheyseethemanasheseeshimself,thesolemasterofhumanaffairsforaslongaswehavehistoricrecord。 This,fortunately,isnotlong。Wecannowseebackoftheperiodofhissupremacy,andarebeginningtoseebeyondit。Wearewellunderwayalreadyinahigherstageofsocialdevelopment,conscious,well—organized,wiselymanaged,inwhichthelawsshallbesimpleandfoundedonconstructiveprinciplesinsteadofbeingasetofring—regulationswithinwhichpeoplemayfightastheywill;andinwhichthegovernmentshallberecognizedinitsfulluse;notonlythesternlydominantfather,andthewiselyservicablemother,buttherealunionofallpeopletosanelyandeconomicallymanagetheiraffairs。 OURANDROCENTRICCULTURE;or,THEMAN—MADEWORLD XI。 CRIMEANDPUNISHMENT。 ThehumanconceptofSinhashaditsusesnodoubt;andourspecialinventionofathingcalledPunishmenthasalsoservedapurpose。 Socialevolutionhasworkedinmanywayswastefully,andwithunnecessarypain,butitcomparesveryfavorablywithnaturalevolution。 Aswegrowwiser;asoursocialconsciousnessdevelops,wearebeginningtoimproveonnatureinmorewaysthanone;apartofthesamegreatprocess,butofamorehighlysublimatedsort。 Natureshowsaworldofvariedandchangingenvironment。IntothiscomesLife——flushingandspreadingineverydirection。AprettyhardtimeLifehasofit。Inthefirstplaceitisdogeatdogineverydirection;thejoyofthehunterandthemostunjoyousfearofthehunted。 Butquiteoutsideofthisessentialdanger,theenvironmentwaits,grimandunappeasable,andcontinuouslydestroystheinnocentmyriadswhofailtomeettheonerequirementoflife——Adaptation。Sowemustnotbetoosevereinself—condemnationwhenweseehowfoolish,cruel,crazilywasteful,isourattitudetowardcrimeandpunishment。 Webecomesociallyconsciouslargelythroughpain,andaswebegintoseehowmuchofthepainiswhollyofourowncausingweareovercomewithshame。Buttherightwayforsocietytofaceitspastisthesameasfortheindividual;toseewhereitwaswrongandstopit——buttowastenotimeandnoemotionoverpastmisdeeds。 Whatisourpresentstateastocrime?Itisprettybad。Somesayitisworsethanitusedtobe;othersthatitisbetter。Atanyrateitisbadenough,andadisgracetoourcivilization。Wehavemurderersbythethousandandthievesbythemillion,ofallkindsandsizes;wehavewhatwetenderlycall\"immorality,\"fromthe\"errorsofyouth\"tothesoddengrossnessofoldage;married,single,andmixed。Wehavealltheoldkindsofwickednessandalotofnewones,untilonemarvelsatthepurityandpowerofhumannature,thatitshouldcarrysomuchdiseaseandstillgrowontohigherthings。 Alsowehavepunishmentstillwithus;privateandpublic;appliedlikearabbit’sfoot,withaslittleregardtoitsefficacy。Doesachildoffend?Punishit!Doesawomanoffend?Punishher!Doesamanoffend?Punishhim!Doesagroupoffend?Punishthem! \"Whatfor?\"someonesuddenlyasks。 \"Tomakethemstopdoingit!\" \"Buttheyhavedoneit!\" \"Tomakethemnotdoitagain,then。\" \"Buttheydodoitagain——andworse。\" \"Topreventotherpeople’sdoingit,then。\" \"Butitdoesnotpreventthem——thecrimekeepson。Whatgoodisyourpunishment?\" Whatindeed! Whatistheapplicationofpunishmenttocrime?Itsbase,itsprehistoricbase,issimpleretaliation;andthisisbynomeanswhollymale,letusfreelyadmit。Theinstinctofresistance,ofopposition,ofretaliation,liesdeeperthanlifeitself。Itsunderlyinglawisthelawofphysics——actionandreactionareequal。Life’sexpressionofthislawisperfectlynatural,butnotalwaysprofitable。Hityourhandonastonewall,andthestonewallhitsyourhand。Verygood;youlearnthatstonewallsarehard,andgovernyourselfaccordingly。 Consciousyounghumanityobservedandphilosophized,congratulatingitselfonitsdiscernment。\"Amanhitsme——Ihitthemanalittleharder——thenhewon’tdoitagain。\"Unfortunatelyhediddoitagain——alittleharderstill。Theefforttohithardercarriedontheactionandreactiontillsociety,hittinghardestofall,setupasystemoflegalpunishment,ofunlimitedseverity。Itimprisoned,itmutilated,ittortured,itkilled;itdestroyedwholefamilies,andrazedcontumeliouscitiestotheground。 Thereforeallcrimeceased,ofcourse?No?Butcrimewasmitigated,surely!Perhaps。Thiswehaveprovenatlast;thatcrimedoesnotdecreaseinproportiontotheseverestpunishment。Littlebylittlewehaveceasedtorazethecities,towipeoutthefamilies,tocutofftheears,totorture;andourimprisonmentischangingfromslowdeathandinsanitytoaformofattemptedimprovement。 Butpunishmentasaprincipleremainsingoodstanding,andisstillthemainreliancewhereitdoesthemostharm——intherearingofchildren。 \"Sparetherodandspoilthechild\"remainsinbelief,unmodifiedbythemillionsofchildrenspoiledbytheunsparedrod。 Thebreedersofracehorseshavelearnedbetter,butnotthebreedersofchildren。Ourtroubleissimplythelackofintelligence。Wefacethebabyisherrorandthehideouscrimeinexactlythesameattitude。 \"Thispersonhasdonesomethingoffensive。\" Yes?——andonewaitseagerlyforthefirstquestionoftherationalmind——butdoesnothearit。Oneonlyhears\"Punishhim!\" Whatisthefirstquestionoftherationalmind? \"Why?\" Humanbeingsarenotfirstcauses。Theydonotevolveconductoutofnothing。Thechilddoesthis,themandoesthat,_because_ofsomething;becauseofmanythings。Ifwedonotlikethewaypeoplebehave,andwishthemtobehavebetter,weshould,ifwearerationalbeings,studytheconditionsthatproducetheconduct。 Theconnectionbetweenourarchaicsystemofpunishmentandourandrocentriccultureistwo—fold。Theimpulseofresistance,while,aswehaveseen,ofthedeepestnaturalorigin,isexpressedmorestronglyinthemalethaninthefemale。Thetendencytohitbackandhitharderhasbeenfosteredinhimbysex—combattillithasbecomeofgreatintensity。Thehabitofauthoritytoo,asoldasourhistory;andthecumulativeweightofallthereligionsandsystemsoflawandgovernment,havefurthermorebuiltupandintensifiedthespiritofretaliationandvengeance。 Theyhaveevendeifiedthisconcept,inancientreligions,creditingtoGodtheevilpassionsofmen。Asthesmallboyrecited;\"Vengeance。A meandesiretogetevenwithyourenemies:’VengeanceisminesaiththeLord’——’Iwillrepay。’\" TheChristianreligionteachesbetterthings;betterthanitsexpositorsandupholdershaveeverunderstood——muchlesspractised。 Theteachingof\"Loveyourenemies,dogooduntothemthathateyou,andservethemthatdespitefullyuseyouandpersecuteyou,\"hastoooftenresulted,whenpractisedatall,inasentimentalnegation;apatheticallyuselessattitudeofnon—resistance。Youmightaswellbaseareligiononafeatherpillow! Theadvicegivenwasactive;direct;concrete。\"_Love!_\"Loveisnotnon—resistance。\"Dogood!\"Doinggoodisnotnon—resistance。\"Serve!\" Serviceisnotnon—resistance。 Againwehaveanoverwhelmingproofofthefar—reachingeffectsofourandrocentricculture。Consideritoncemore。Hereisonebynaturecombativeanddesirous,andnotbynatureintendedtomonopolizethemanagementofhisspecies。Heassumestobenotonlytheleader,butthewholething——tobehumanityitself,andtoseeinwomanasGrantAllensoclearlyputit\"Notonlynottherace;sheisnotevenhalftherace,butasubspecies,toldoffforpurposesofreproductionmerely。\" Underthismonstrousassumption,hissex—attributeswhollyidentifiedwithhishumanattributes,andovershadowingthem,hehasimprintedoneveryhumaninstitutionthetastesandtendenciesofthemale。Asamalehefought,asamalehumanbeinghefoughtmore,anddeifiedfighting;andinaculturebasedondesireandcombat,loudwithstridentself—expression,therecouldbebutslowacceptanceofthemorehumanmethodsurgedbyChristianity。\"Itisareligionforslavesandwomen!\"saidthewarriorofold。(Slavesandwomenwerelargelythesamething。)\"Itisareligionforslavesandwomen\"saystheadvocateoftheSuperman。 Well?Whodidtheworkofalltheancientworld?Whoraisedthefoodandgarnereditandcookeditandservedit?Whobuiltthehouses,thetemples,theacqueducts,thecitywall?Whomadethefurniture,thetools,theweapons,theutensils,theornaments——madethemstrongandbeautifulanduseful?Whokeptthehumanracegoing,somehow,inspiteoftheconstanthideouswasteofwar,andslowlybuiltuptherealindustrialcivilizationbehindthatgoryshow?——Whyjusttheslavesandthewomen。 Areligionwhichhadattractionsfortherealhumantypeisnotthereforetobeutterlydespisedbythemale。 Inmodernhistorywemaywatchwithincreasingeasetheslow,sureprogressofourgrowinghumannessbeneaththeweakeningshellofanall—maledominance。Andinthisfieldofwhatbeginsinthenurseas\"discipline,\"andendsonthescaffoldas\"punishment,\"wecanclearlyseethatblessedchange。 Whatisthenatural,thehumanattribute?Whatdoesthis\"Love,\"and\"Dogood,\"and\"Serve\"mean?Intheblunderingoldchurch,stillandrocentric,therewasagreatto—dotocarryoutthisdoctrine,inelaboratesymbolism。Asetofbeggarsandcripples,gatheredfortheoccasion,wasexhibited,andkingsandcardinalswentsolemnlythroughthemotionsofservingthem。AstheEnglishschoolboyphrasedit,\"ThomasBecketwashedthefeetofleopards。\" Serviceandloveanddoinggoodmustalwaysremainsideissuesinamaleworld。Serviceandloveanddoinggoodarethespiritofmotherhood,andtheessenseofhumanlife。 Humanlifeisservice,andisnotcombat。Thereyouhavethenatureofthechangenowuponus。 WhathasthemalemindmadeofChristianity? Desire——tosaveone’sownsoul。Combat——withtheDevil。 Self—expression——thewholegorgeousoutpouringofpageantanddisplay,fromthejewelsofthehighpriest’sbreastplatetothechoirofmutilatedmentopraiseamaleDeitynowomanmaysoserve。 Whatkindofmindcanimagineakindofgodwhowouldlikeaeunuchbetterthanawoman? Forwomantheymadeatlastaplace——theusualplace——ofrenunciation,sacrificeandservice,theSistersofMercyandtheirkind;andinthatlovingservicethewomansoulhasbeencontent,notyearningforcardinal’scapeorbishop’smitre。 Allthisischanging——changingfast。Everywherethechurchesarebroadeningoutintomoreservice,andtheservicebroadeningoutbeyondalittlegroupofwidowsandfatherless,ofsickandinprison,toembraceitstruefield——allhumanlife。Inthisnewattitude,howshallwefacetheproblemsofcrime? Thus:\"Itispainfullyapparentthatacertainpercentageofourpeopledonotfunctionproperly。Theyperformantisocialacts。Why?Whatisthematterwiththem?\" Thentheheartandmindofsocietyisappliedtothequestion,andcertainresultsaresoonreached;othersslowlyworkedtoward。 Firstresult。Somepersonsaresomorallydiseasedthattheymusthavehospitaltreatment。Theworld’slastprisonwillbesimplyahospitalformoralincurables。Theymustbynomeansreproducetheirkind,——thatcanbeattendedtoatonce。Somearemorallydiseased,butmaybecured,andthebestpowersofsocietywillbeusedtocurethem。Someareonlymorallydiseasedbecauseoftheconditionsinwhichtheyarebornandreared,andheresocietycansavemillionsatonce。 Anintelligentsocietywillnomoreneglectitschildrenthananintelligentmotherwillneglectherchildren;andwillseeasclearlythatill—fed,ill—dressed,ill—taughtandvilelyassociatedlittleonesmustgrowupgravelyinjured。 Asamatteroffactwemakeourcropofcriminals,justaswemakeouridiots,blind,crippled,andgenerallydefective。Everyoneisababyfirst,andababyisnotacriminal,unlesswemakeitso。Itneverwouldbe,——inrightconditions。Sometimesapervertisborn,assometimesatwo—headedcalfisborn,buttheyarenotcommon。 Theolder,simplerformsofcrimewemaypreventwithcaseanddespatch,buthowofthenewones?——big,terrible,far—reaching,wide—spreadcrimes,forwhichwehaveasyetnonames;andbeforewhichouroldsystemofanti—personalpunishmentfallshelpless?Whatofthecrimesofpoisoningacommunitywithbadfood;ofdefilingthewater;ofblackeningtheair;ofstealingwholeforests?Whatofthecrimesofworkinglittlechildren;ofbuildingandrentingtenementsthatproducecrimeandphysicaldiseaseaswell?Whatofthecrimeoflivingonthewagesoffallenwomen——ofhiringmentoruininnocentyounggirls;ofholdingthemenslavedandsellingthemforprofit?(Thesethingsareonly\"misdemeanors\"inaman—madeworld!) Andwhataboutacrimelikethis;tousethepublicpresstolietothepublicforprivateends?Nonameyetforthiscrime;muchlessapenalty。 Andthis:Tobringworsethanleprosytoaninnocentcleanwifewholovesandtrustsyou? Orthis:Toknowinglyplantpoisoninanunbornchild? Nonames,forthese;no\"penalties\";noconceivablepenaltythatcouldtouchthem。 Thewholepunishmentsystemfallstothegroundbeforethehugemassofevilthatconfrontsus。Ifwesawaprocessionofairshipsflyingoveracityanddroppingbombs,shouldwerushmadlyoffaftereachonecrying,\"Catchhim!Punishhim!\"orshouldwetrytostoptheprocession? Thetimeiscomingwhentheveryword\"crime\"willbedisused,exceptinpoemsandorations;and\"punishment,\"thewordanddeed,beobliterated。 Wearebeginningtolearnalittleofthenatureofhumanityitsgoodness,itsbeauty,itslovingness;andtoseethatevenitsstupidityisonlyduetoourfoolisholdmethodsofeducation。 Itisnotnewpower,newlight,newhopethatweneed,but_tounderstandwhatailsus。_ Weknowenoughnow,wecareenoughnow,wearestrongenoughnow,tomakethewholeworldathousandfoldbetterinageneration;butweareshackled,chained,blinded,byoldfalsenotions。Theideasofthepast,thesentimentsofthepast,theattitudeandprejudicesofthepast,areinourway;andamongthemnonemoreuniversallymischievousthanthisgreatbodyofideasandsentiments,prejudicesandhabits,whichmakeuptheoffensivenetworkoftheandrocentricculture。 OURANDROCENTRICCULTURE;or,THEMAN—MADEWORLD XII。 POLITICSANDWARFARE。 Igotomyolddictionary,andfind;\"Politics,I。Thescienceofgovernment;thatpartofethicswhichhastodowiththeregulationandgovernmentofanationorstate,thepreservationofitssafety,peaceandprosperity;thedefenceofitsexistenceandrightsagainstforeigncontrolorconquest;theaugmentationofitsstrengthandresources,andtheprotectionofitscitizensintheirrights;withthepreservationandimprovementoftheirmorals。2。Themanagementofpoliticalparties;theadvancementofcandidatestooffice;inabadsense,artfulordishonestmanagementtosecurethesuccessofpoliticalmeasuresorpartyschemes,politicaltrickery。\" Frompresentdayexperiencewemightadd,3。Politics,practical;Theartoforganizingandhandlingmeninlargenumbers,manipulatingvotes,and,inespecial,appropriatingpublicwealth。 Wecaneasilyseethatthe\"scienceofgovernment\"maybedividedinto\"pure\"and\"applied\"likeothersciences,butthatitis\"apartofethics\"willbenewstomanyminds。 Yetwhynot?Ethicsisthescienceofconduct,andpoliticsismerelyonefieldofconduct;averycommonone。ItsconnectionwithWarfareinthischapterisperfectlylegitimateinviewofthehistoryofpoliticsontheonehand,andtheimperativemodernissueswhichareto—dayopposedtothisestablishedcombination。 Therearemanyto—daywhoholdthatpoliticsneednotbeatallconnectedwithwarfare,andotherswhoholdthatpoliticsiswarfarefrontstarttofinish。 Inordertodissociatethetwoideascompletelyletusgiveaparaphraseoftheabovedefinition,applyingittodomesticmanagement;——thatpartofethicswhichhastodowiththeregulationandgovernmentofafamily;thepreservationofitssafety,peaceandprosperity;thedefenseofitsexistenceandrightsagainstanystrangers’interferenceorcontrol;theaugmentationofitsstrengthandresources,andtheprotectionofitsmembersintheirrights;withthepreservationandimprovementoftheirmorals。 Allthisissimpleenough,andinnowaymasculine;neitherisitfeminine,saveinthis;thatthetendencytocarefor,defendandmanageagroup,isinitsoriginmaternal。 Ineveryhumansense,however,politicshasleftitsmaternalbasefarinthebackground;andasafieldofstudyandofactionisaswelladaptedtomenastowomen。Thereisnoreasonwhateverwhymenshouldnotdevelopgreatabilityinthisdepartmentofethics,andgraduallylearnhowtopreservethesafety,peaceandprosperityoftheirnation; togetherwiththoseotherservicesastoresources,protectionofcitizens,andimprovementofmorals。 Men,ashumanbeings,arecapableofthenoblestdevotionandefficiencyinthesematters,andhaveoftenshownthem;buttheirdevotionandefficiencyhavebeenmarredinthis,asinsomanyotherfields,bytheconstantobtrusionofanultra—masculinetendency。 Inwarfare,_perse_,wefindmalenessinitsabsurdestextremes。Hereistobestudiedthewholegamutofbasicmasculinity,fromtheinitialinstinctofcombat,througheveryformofgloriousostentation,withtheloudestpossibleaccompanimentofnoise。 Primitivewarfarehadforitsclimaxthepossessionoftheprimitiveprize,thefemale。Withoutdogmatisingonsoremoteaperiod,itmaybesuggestedasafairhypothesisthatthiswastheveryoriginofourorganizedraids。Wecertainlyfindwarbeforetherewaspropertyinland,oranyotherpropertytotemptaggressors。Women,however,therewerealways,andwhenaspeciallyandrocentrictribehadreduceditssupplyofwomenbycrueltreatment,ortheywerenotborninsufficientnumbers,owingtohardconditions,menmustneedsgofartherafieldafterotherwomen。Then,sincethemenoftheothertribesnaturallyobjectedtolosingtheirmainlaborsupplyandcomfort,therewaswar。 Thusbasedontheseximpulse,itgavefullrangetothecombativeinstinct,andfurthertothatthirstforvocalexultationsoexquisitelymale。Theproudbellowingsoftheconqueringstag,ashetrampledonhisprostraterival,foundhigherexpressioninthe\"triumphs\"ofolddays,whentheconqueringwarriorreturnedtohishome,withvictimschainedtohischariotwheels,andbrayingtrumpets。 Whenpropertybecameanappreciablefactorinlife,warfaretookonanewsignificance。Whatwasatfirstmeredestruction,intheefforttodefendorobtainsomehuntinggroundorpasture;and,always,tosecurethefemale;nowcoalescedwiththeacquisitiveinstinct,andthelongblackagesofpredatorywarfareclosedinupontheworld。 Wheretheearliestformexterminated,thelaterenslaved,andtooktribute;andforcenturyuponcenturythe\"gentlemanadventurer,\"i。e。,theprimitivemale,greatlypreferredtoacquirewealthbythesimpleoldprocessoftakingit,toanyformofproductiveindustry。 Wehavebeenmuchmisledastowarfarebyourandrocentricliterature。 Withahistorywhichrecordednothingelse;aliteraturewhichpraisedandanartwhichexaltedit;areligionwhichcalleditscentralpower\"theGodofBattles\"——nevertheGodofWorkshops,mindyou!——withawholecomplexsocialstructureman—prejudicedfromcentertocircumference,andgivinghighestpraiseandhonortotheSoldier;itisstillhardforitstoseewhatwarfarereallyisinhumanlife。 Somedayweshallhavenewhistorieswritten,historiesofworldprogress,showingtheslowuprising,thedevelopment,theinterserviceofthenations;showingthefaintbeautifuldawnofthelargerspiritofworld—consciousness,andallitsbenefittinggrowth。 Weshallseepeoplesoftening,learning,rising;seelifelengthenwiththepossessionofherds,andwideninrichprosperitywithagriculture。 Thenindustry,blossoming,fruiting,spreadingwide;art,givinglightandjoy;theintellectdevelopingwithcompanionshipandhumanintercourse;thewholespreadingtreeofsocialprogress,thetrunkofwhichisspecializedindustry,andthebranchesofwhichcompriseeveryleastandgreatestlineofhumanactivityandenjoyment。Thisgrowingtree,springingupwhereverconditionsofpeaceandprosperitygaveitachance,weshallseecontinuallyheweddowntotheveryrootbywar。 Tothelaterhistorianwillappearthroughouttheages,likesomeHideousFate,someCurse,somepredeterminedcheck,todragdownallourhopeandjoyandsetlifeforeveratitsfirststepsoveragain,thisRedPlagueofWar。 Theinstinctofcombat,betweenmales,workedadvantageouslysolongasitdidnotinjurethefemaleortheyoung。Itisaperfectlynaturalinstinct,andthereforeperfectlyright,initsplace;butitsplaceisinapre—patriarchalera。Solongastheanimalmotherwasfreeandcompetenttocareforherselfandheryoung;thenitwasanadvantagetohave\"thebestmanwin;\"thatisthebeststagorlion;andtohavethevanquisheddie,orliveinsulkycelibacy,wasnodisadvantagetoanyonebuthimself。 Humanityisonastageabovethisplan。Thebestmaninthesocialstructureisnotalwaysthehuskiest。Whenafreshhordeofultra—malesavagesswarmeddownuponaprosperousyoungcivilization,killedoffthemorecivilizedmalesandappropriatedthemorecivilizedfemales; theydid,nodoubt,bringinafreshphysicalimpetustotherace;buttheydestroyedthecivilization。 Thereproductionofperfectlygoodsavagesisnotthemainbusinessofhumanity。Itsbusinessistogrow,socially;todevelop,toimprove; andwarfare,atitsbest,retardshumanprogress;atitsworst,obliteratesit。 Combatisnotasocialprocessatall;itisaphysicalprocess,asubsidiarysexprocess,purelymasculine,intendedtoimprovethespeciesbytheeliminationoftheunfit。Amusinglyenough,orabsurdlyenough;whenappliedtosociety,iteliminatesthefit,andleavestheunfittoperpetuatetherace! Werequire,todoourorganizedfighting,apickedlotofvigorousyoungmales,thefittestwecanfind。Thetoooldortooyoung;thesick,crippled,defective;areallleftbehind,tomarryandbefathers;whilethepickofthecountry,physically,issentofftoopposethepickofanothercountry,andkill——kill——kill! Observetheresultonthepopulation!Inthefirstplacethebalanceisbroken——therearenotenoughmentogoaround,athome;manywomenareleftunmated。Inprimitivewarfare,wherewomenwerepromptlyenslaved,or,atthebest,polygamouslymarried,thisdidnotgreatlymattertothepopulation;butascivilizationadvancesandmonogamyobtains,whatevereugenicbenefitsmayoncehavesprungfromwarfarearecompletelylost,andallitsinjuriesremain。 Inwhatweinnocentlycall\"civilizedwarfare\"(wemightaswellspeakof\"civilizedcannibalism!\"),thissteadyeliminationofthefitleavesaneverloweringstandardofparentageathome。Itmakesawideningmarginofwhatwecall\"surpluswomen,\"meaningmorethanenoughtobemonogamouslymarried;andthesewomen,notbeingeconomicallyindependent,dragsteadilyupontheremainingmen,postponingmarriage,andincreasingitsburdens。