第4章

类别:其他 作者:Charlotte Perkins Gilman字数:26234更新时间:19/01/05 11:20:48
Thebirthrateisloweredinquantitybythelackofhusbands,andloweredinqualitybothbythedestructionofsuperiorstock,andbythewidedisseminationofthosediseaseswhichinvariablyaccompanythewife—lessnessofthesegregatedmaleswhoaretoldofftoperformourmilitaryfunctions。 Theexternalhorrorsandwastesofwarfareweareallfamiliarwith;A。 Itarrestsindustryandallprogress。B。Itdestroysthefruitsofindustryandprogress。C。Itweakens,hurtsandkillsthecombatants。 D。Itlowersthestandardofthenon—combatants。Eventheconqueringnationisheavilyinjured;theconqueredsometimesexterminated,oratleastabsorbedbythevictor。 Thismasculineselectiveprocess,whenappliedtonations,doesnotproducethesameresultaswhenappliedtosingleopposinganimals。 WhenlittleGreecewasovercomeitdidnotprovethatthevictorsweresuperior,norpromotehumaninterestsinanyway;itinjuredthem。 The\"sternarbitramentofwar\"mayprovewhichoftwopeoplesisthebetterfighter,butftdoesnotproveitthereforthefittesttosurvive。 Beyondallthesemoreorlessobviousevils,comesafurtherresult,notenoughrecognized;thepsychiceffectsofmilitarystandardofthoughtandfeeling。 Rememberthatanandrocentricculturehasalwaysexempteditsownessentialactivitiesfromtherestraintsofethics,——\"All’sfairinloveandwar!\"Deceit,trickery,lying,everykindofskulkingunderhandefforttogetinformation;ceaselessendeavortooutwitandovercome\"theenemy\";besidesascrueltyanddestruction;arecharacteristicofthemilitaryprocess;aswellasthemuchpraisedvirtuesofcourage,enduranceandloyalty,personalandpublic。 Alsoclassedasavirtue,andunquestionablysuchfromthemilitarypointofview,isthatprimefactorinmakingandkeepinganarmy,obedience。 Seehowtheeffectofthisartificialmaintenanceofearlymentalattitudesactsonourlaterdevelopment。Truehumanprogressrequireselementsquiteotherthanthese。Ifsuccessfulwarfaremadeonenationunquestionedmasteroftheearthitssocialprogresswouldnotbepromotedbythatevent。TherudehordesofGenghisKhanswarmedoverAsiaandintoEurope,butremainedrudehordes;conquestisnotcivilization,noranypartofit。 Whenthenortherntribes—menoverwhelmedtheRomanculturetheyparalysedprogressforathousandyearsorso;setbacktheclockbythatmuch。SolongasallEuropewasatwar,solongtheartsandsciencessatstill,orstruggledinhidcornerstokeeptheirlightalive。 Whenwarfareitselfceases,thephysical,socialandpsychicresultsdonotcease。Ourwholecultureisstillhag—riddenbymilitaryideals。 Peacecongresseshavebeguntomeet,peacesocietieswriteandtalk,butthemonumentstosoldiersandsailors(navalsailorsofcourse),stillgoup,andthetinsoldierremainsapopulartoy。Wedonotseeboxesoftincarpentersbyanychance;tinfarmers,weavers,shoemakers;wedonotwriteour\"boysbooks\"abouttherealbenefactorsandserversofsociety;theadventureranddestroyerremainstheidolofanAndrocentricCulture。 Inpoliticsthemilitaryideal,themilitaryprocesses,aresopredominantastoalmostmonopolise\"thatpartofethics。\"Thescienceofgovernment,theplainwholesomebusinessofmanagingacommunityforitsowngood;doingitswork,advancingitsprosperity,improvingitsmorals——thisisfranklyunderstoodandacceptedasAFightfromstarttofinish。Marshallyourforcesandtrytogetin,thisisthepoliticalcampaign。Whenyouarein,fighttostayin,andtokeeptheotherfellowout。Fightforyourownhand,likeananimal;fightforyourmasterlikeanyhiredbravo;fightalwaysforsomedesired\"victory\"——and\"tothevictorsbelongthespoils。\" Thisisnotbyanymeansthetruenatureofpolitics。Itisnotevenafairpictureofpoliticsto—day;inwhichman,thehumanbeing,isdoingnobleworkforhumanity;butitistheeffectofman,themale,onpolitics。 Life,tothe\"malemind\"(wehaveheardenoughofthe\"femalemind\"tousetheanalogue!)_is_afight,andhisancientmilitaryinstitutionsandprocesseskeepupthedelusion。 Asamatteroffactlifeisgrowth。Growthcomesnaturally,bymultiplicationofcells,andrequiresthreefactorstopromoteit; nourishment,use,rest。Combatisaminorincidentoflife;belongingtolowlevels,andnotofadevelopinginfluencesocially。 Thescienceofpolitics,inacivilizedcommunity,shouldhavebythistimeafineaccumulationofsimplifiedknowledgefordiffusioninpublicschools;astoreofpracticalexperienceinhowtopromotesocialadvancementmostrapidly,aprogressiveeconomyandeaseofadministration,asimplicityintheoryandvisiblebenefitinpractice,suchasshouldmakeeverychildaneagerandserviceablecitizen。 Whatdowefind,hereinAmerica,inthefieldof\"politics?\" Wefindfirstapartysystemwhichisthetechnicalarrangementtocarryonafight。Itisperfectlyconceivablethataflourishingdemocraticgovernmentbecarriedon_withoutanypartiesatall;_publicfunctionariesbeingelectedontheirmerits,andeachproposedmeasurejudgedonitsmerits;thoughthissoundsimpossibletotheandrocentricmind。 \"Therehasneverbeenademocracywithoutfactionsandparties!\"isprotested。 Therehasneverbeenademocracy,sofar——onlyanandrocracy。 Agroupcomposedofmalesalone,naturallydivides,opposes,fights; evenamalechurch,underthemostrigidrule,hasitssecretundercurrentsofantagonism。 \"Itisthehumanheart!\"isagainprotested。No,notessentiallythehumanheart,butthemaleheart。Thisissowellrecognizedbymeningeneral,that,totheirminds,inthismingledfieldofpoliticsandwarfare,womenhavenoplace。 In\"civilizedwarfare\"theyare,itistrue,allowedtotrailalongandpracticetheirfemininefunctionofnursing;butthisisnopartofwarproper,itisratherthebeginningoftheendofwar。Sometimeitwillstrikeour\"funnyspot,\"thesestrenuouseffortstohurtanddestroy,andtheseaccompanyingeffortstohealandsave。 Butinourpoliticsthereisnotevenprovisionforanursingcorps; womenareabsolutelyexcluded。 \"Theycannotplaythegame!\"criesthepracticalpolitician。Thereisloudtalkofthedefilement,the\"dirtypool\"anditsresultantdarkeningoffairreputations,thetotalunfitnessoflovelywomantotakepartin\"theroughandtumbleofpolitics。\" Inotherwordsmenhavemadeahumaninstitutionintoanultra—masculineperformance;and,quiterightly,feelthatwomencouldnottakepartinpolitics_asmendo。_Thatitisnotnecessarytofulfillthishumancustominsomasculineawaydoesnotoccurtothem。Fewmencanoverlookthelimitationsoftheirsexandseethetruth;thatthisbusinessoftakingcareofourcommonaffairsisnotonlyequallyopentowomenandmen,butthatwomenaredistinctlyneededinit。 Anyonewilladmitthatagovernmentwhollyinthehandsofwomenwouldbehelpedbytheassistanceofmen;thatagynaecocracymust,ofitsownnature,beonesided。Yetitishardtowinreluctantadmissionoftheoppositefact;thatanandrocracymustofitsownnaturebeonesidedalso,andwouldbegreatlyimprovedbytheparticipationoftheothersex。 Theinextricableconfusionofpoliticsandwarfareispartofthestumblingblockinthemindsofmen。Astheyseeit,anationisprimarilyafightingorganization;anditsprincipalbusinessisoffensiveanddefensivewarfare;thereforetheultimatumwithwhichtheyopposethedemandforpoliticalequality——\"womencannotfight,thereforetheycannotvote。\" Fighting,whenallissaid,istothemtherealbusinessoflife;nottobeabletofightistobequiteoutoftherunning;andabilitytosolveourgrowingmassofpublicproblems;questionsofhealth,ofeducation,ofmorals,ofeconomics;weighsnaughtagainsttheabilitytokill。 Thisnaiveassumptionofsupremevalueinaprocessneverofthefirstimportance;andincreasinglyinjuriousassocietyprogresses,wouldbelaughableifitwerenotforitsevileffects。Itactsandreactsuponustoourhurt。Positively,weseetheilleffectsalreadytouchedon; theevilsnotonlyofactivewar;butofthespiritandmethodsofwar; idealized,inculcatedandpracticedinothersocialprocesses。Ittendstomakeeachman—managednationanactualorpotentialfightingorganization,andtogiveus,insteadofcivilizedpeace,that\"balanceofpower\"whichislikethecountedtimeintheprizering——onlyarestbetweencombats。 Itleavestheweakernationstobe\"conquered\"and\"annexed\"justastheyusedtobe;withtariffsinsteadoftribute。Itforcesuponeachtheburdenofarmament;uponmanythedreadedconscription;andcontinuallylowerstheworld’sresourcesinmoneyandinlife。 Similarlyinpolitics,itaddstothelegitimateexpensesofgoverningtheillegitimateexpensesoffighting;andmustneedshavea\"spoilssystem\"bywhichtopayitsmercenaries。 Incarryingoutthepublicpoliciesthewheelsofstatearecontinuallycloggedbythe\"opposition;\"alwaysanoppositionononesideortheother;andthisslowwigglingunevenprogress,throughshornvictoriesandhagglingconcessions,isheldtobetheproperandonlypoliticalmethod。 \"Womendonotunderstandpolitics,\"wearetold;\"Womendonotcareforpolitics;\"\"Womenareunfittedforpolitics。\" Itisfranklyinconceivable,fromtheandrocentricview—point,thatnationscanliveinpeacetogether,andbefriendlyandserviceableaspersonsare。Itisinconceivablealso,thatinthemanagementofanation,honesty,efficiency,wisdom,experienceandlovecouldworkoutgoodresultswithoutanyelementofcombat。 The\"ultimateresort\"isstilltoarms。\"Thewillofthemajority\"isonlyrespectedonaccountofthegunso?themajority。Wehavebutapartialcivilization,heavilymodifiedtosex——themalesex。 WOMANANDTHESTATE [ADiscussionofPoliticalEqualityofMenandWomen。Tobereadinconnectionwithchapter12ofOurAndrocentricCulture。] Herearetwovitalfactorsinhumanlife;oneaprimeessentialtoourexistence;theotheraprimeessentialtoourprogress。 Bothofthemweidealizeincertainlines,andexploitinothers。Bothofthemaremisinterpreted,balkedoftheirfullusefulness,andhumanitythusinjured。 Thehumanracedoesnotgetthebenefitofthefullpowersofwomen,norofthefullpowersofthestate。 Inallcivilizedracesto—daythereisawideandgrowingsenseofdiscontentamongwomen;acriticismoftheirassignedlimitations,andademandforlargerfreedomandopportunity。Underdifferentconditionsthedemandvaries;itishereforhighereducation,thereforjusticebeforethelaw;hereforeconomicindependence,andthereforpoliticalequality。 ThislastisatpresentthemostprominentIssueof\"thewomanquestion\" inEnglandandAmerica,astheactivityofthe\"militantsuffragists\" hasforceditupontheattentionoftheworld。 Thoughtfulpeopleingeneralarenowstudyingthispointmoreseriouslythaneverbefore,genuinelyanxioustoadopttherightside,andthereisanalarmeduprisingofsincereobjectiontothepoliticalequalityofwomen。 Wastingnotimeonignorance,prejudice,ortheresistanceofspecialinterests,letusfairlyfacethehonestopposition,anddoitjustice。 Theconservativepositionisthis: Menandwomenhavedifferentspheresinlife。Tomenbelongthecreationandmanagementofthestate,andthefinancialmaintenanceofthehomeandfamily: \"Towomenbelongthephysicalburdenofmaternity,andtheindustrialmanagementofthehomeandfamily;thesedutiesrequirealltheirtimeandstrength: \"Theprosperityofthestatemaybesufficientlyconservedbymenalone; theprosperityofthefamilyrequiresthepersonalpresenceandservicesofthemotherinthehome:ifwomenassumethecaresofthestate,thehomeandfamilywillsuffer: Somegoevenfartherthanthis,andclaimanessentiallimitationin\"thefemalemind\"whichpreventsitfromgraspinglargepoliticalinterests;holding,therefore,thatifwomentookpartinstateaffairsitwouldbetothedetrimentofthecommunity: Othersadvanceatheorythat\"society,\"inthespecialsense,isthetruesphereoflargerserviceforwomen,andthatthoseofthemnotexclusivelyconfinedto\"homeduties\"mayfindfulloccupationin\"socialduties,\"includingthetimehonoredfieldsof\"religion\"and\"charity\": Othersagainplacetheirmainrelianceonthestatementthat,astothesuffrage,\"womendonotwantit。\" Letusconsiderthesepointsininverseorder,beginningwiththelastone。 Wewilladmitthatatpresentthemajorityofwomenarenotconsciouslydesirousofanyextensionoftheirpoliticalrightsandprivileges,butdenythatthisindifferenceisanyevidenceagainstthedesirabilityofsuchextension。 Ithaslongbeenacceptedthatthepositionofwomenisanindexofcivilization。Progressivepeopleareproudofthefreedomandhonorgiventheirwomen,andournationhonestlybelievesitselftheleaderinthisline。\"Americanwomenarethefreestintheworld!\"wesay;andboastofit。 Sincetheagitationforwomen’srightsbegan,manyconcessionshavebeenmadetofurtherimprovetheircondition。Men,seeingthejusticeofcertaindemands,havegrantedinmanystatessuchprivilegesasadmissiontoschools,colleges,universities,andspecialinstructionforprofessions;followedbyadmissiontothebar,thepulpit,andthepracticeofmedicine。Marriedwomen,inmanystates,havenowarighttotheirownearnings;andinafew,mothershaveanequalrightintheguardianshipoftheirchildren。 Weareproudandgladthatourwomenarefreetogounveiled,totravelalone,tochoosetheirownhusbands;weareproudandgladofeveryextensionofjusticealreadygrantedbymentowomen。 Now:——Haveanyoftheseconcessionsbeengrantedbecauseamajorityofwomenaskedforthem?Wasitadvancedinoppositiontoanyofthemthat\"womendidnotwantit?\"Haveasmanywomeneveraskedforthesethingsasarenowaskingfortheballot?Ifitwasdesirabletogranttheseotherrightsandprivilegeswithoutthedemandofamajority,whyisthedemandofamajorityrequiredbeforethisoneisgranted? ThechildwidowsofIndiadidnotunitedlydemandtheabolitionofthe\"suttee。\" ThetorturedgirlchildrenofChinadidnotriseinoverwhelmingmajoritytodemandfreefeet;yetsurelynoonewouldrefusetolifttheseburdensbecauseonlyaminorityofprogressivewomeninsistedonjustice。 Itisasociologicalimpossibilitythatamajorityofanunorganizedclassshoulduniteinconcerteddemandforaright,aduty,whichtheyhaveneverknown。 Thepointtobedecidediswhetherpoliticalequalityistotheadvantageofwomenandofthestate——notwhethereither,asabody,isaskingforit。 Nowforthe\"society\"theory。Thereisavenerablefictiontotheeffectthatwomenmake——andmanage,\"society。\"Nocarefulstudentofcomparativehistorycanholdthisbeliefforamoment。Whatevertheconditionsoftheageorplace;industrial,financial,religious,political,educational;theseconditionsareinthehandsofmen;andtheseconditionsdictatethe\"society\"ofthatageorplace。 \"Society\"inaconstitutionalmonarchyisonething;inaprimitivedespotismanother;amongmillionairesathird;butwomendonotmakethedespotism,themonarchy,orthemillions。Theytakesocialconditionsasprovidedbymen,preciselyastheytakeallotherconditionsattheirhands。Theydonotevenmodifyanexistingsocietytotheirowninterests,beingpowerlesstodoso。The\"doublestandardofmorals,\" rulingeverywherein\"society,\"provesthis;asdoesthecomparativehelplessnessofwomentoenjoyevensocialentertainments,withouttheconstantattendanceandinvitationofmen。 Eveninitsgreatfunctionofexhibitionleadingtomarriage,itisthegirlswhoaretrainedandexhibited,underclosestsurveillance;whilethemenstrollinandout,tochoseatwill,undernosurveillancewhatever。 Thatwomen,otherwisepowerful,mayuse\"society\"tofurthertheirends,isastrueasthatmendo;andinEngland,wherewomen,throughtheirtitledandlandedposition,havealwayshadmorepoliticalpowerthanhere,\"society\"isaveryusefulvehiclefortheactivitiesofbothsexes。 But,inthemain,theopportunitiesof\"society\"towomen,aremerelyopportunitiestousetheir\"feminineinfluence\"inextradomesticlines——averyquestionableadvantagetothehomeandfamily,tomotherhood,towomen,ortothestate。 Inreligionwomenhavealwaysfilledandmorethanfilledtheplaceallowedthem。Needlesstosayitwasalowone。Thepowerofthechurch,itswholemanagementandemoluments,werealwaysinthehandsofmen,savewhentheLadyAbbessheldherpartialsway;buttheworkofthechurchhasalwaysbeenhelpedbywomen——themenhavepreachedandthewomenpractised! Charity,asavocation,isdirectlyinlinewiththemotherinstinct,andhasalwaysappealedtowomen。Sincewehavelearnedhowinjurioustotruesocialdevelopmentthismistakenkindnessis,itmightalmostbeclassifiedasamorbidby—productofsuppressedfemininity! Inpassingwemaynotethatcharityasavirtueisrankedhighestamongthosenationsandreligionswherewomenareheldlowest。WiththeMoslemsitisauniversallaw——andintheMoslemParadisetherearenowomen——savetheHouries! Theplaygroundofaman—fenced\"society\";thework—groundofaman—taughtchurch;andthis\"osmosis\"ofsocialnutrition,thisleakageandseepageofvalueswhichshouldcirculatenormally,calledcharity; thesearenotasufficientfieldfortheactivitiesofwomen。 Asforthoselimitationsofthe\"femininemind\"whichrenderherunfittoconsiderthevictuallageofanation,orthejusticeofataxonsugar;ithardlyseemsasifthechargeneedbetakenseriously。YetsoableawomanasMrs。HumphryWardhasrecentlyadvanceditinallearnestness。 Inherviewwomenarecapableofhandlingmunicipal,butnotstateaffairs。Sinceeventhiswasoncedeniedthem;andsince,inEngland,theyhavehadmunicipalsuffrageforsometime;itwouldseemasiftheirabilitiesgrewwithuse,asmostabilitiesdo;whichisintruththerealanswer。 Mostwomenspendtheirwholelives,andhavespenttheirwholelivesforuncountedgenerations,inthepersistentandexclusivecontemplationoftheirownfamilyaffairs。Theyarenear—sighted,ornear—minded,rather;thetroubleisnotwiththenatureoftheirminds,butwiththeuseofthem。 Ifmenasaclasshadbeenexclusivelyconfinedtotheoccupationofhouse—servicesincehistorybegan,theywouldbesimilarlyunlikelytomanifestanacutepoliticalintelligence。 WemayagreewithTennysonthat\"Womanisnotundevelopedman,butdiverse;\"thatis_women_arenotundeveloped_men;_butthefemininehalfofhumanityisundevelopedhuman。Theyhaveexercisedtheirfemininefunctions,butnottheirhuman—functions;atleastnottotheirfullextent。 Hereappearsadistinctionwhichneedstobewidelyappreciated。 Wearenotmerelymaleandfemale——allanimalsarethat——ourchiefdistinctionisthatofrace,ourhumanness。 Malecharacteristicswesharewithallmales,birdandbeast;femalecharacteristicswesharewithallfemales,similarly;buthumancharacteristicsbelongto_genushomo_alone;andarepossessedbybothsexes。Afemalehorseisjustasmuchahorseasamaleofherspecies; afemalehumanbeingisjustashumanasthemaleofherspecies——oroughttobe! Inthespecialfunctionsandrelationsofsexthereisnocontest,nopossiblerivalryorconfusion;butinthegeneralfunctionsofhumanitythereisgreatmisunderstanding。 Ourtroubleisthatwehavenotrecognizedthesehumanfunctionsassuch;butsupposedthemtobeexclusivelymasculine;and,actingunderthatidea,strovetopreventwomenfromanunnaturalimitationofmen。 Hencethisminortheoryofthelimitationsofthe\"femalemind。\" Themindispre—eminentlyhuman。Thatdegreeofbraindevelopmentwhichdistinguishesourspecies,isahuman,notasexcharacteristic。 Theremaybe,hasbeen,andstillis,avastdifferenceinourtreatmentofthemindsofthetwosexes。Wehavegiventhemadifferenteducation,differentexercises,differentconditionsinallways。Butallthesedifferencesareexternal,andtheireffectdisappearswiththem。 The\"femalemind\"hasprovenitsidenticalcapacitywiththe\"malemind,\"_insofarasithasbeengivenidenticalconditions。_Itwilltakealongtime,however,beforeconditionsaresoidentical,forsuccessivegenerations,astogivethe\"femalemind\"afairchance。 Inthemeantime,consideringitstraditional,educationalandassociativedrawbacks,the\"femalemind\"hasmadearemarkablygoodshowing。 Thefieldofpoliticsisanunfortunateoneinwhichtourgethisallegedlimitation;becausepoliticsisoneofthefewfieldsinwhichsomewomenhavebeenrearedandexercisedunderequalconditionswithmen。 Wehavehadqueensaslongaswehavehadkings,perhapslonger;andhistorydoesnotshowthemalemind,inkings,tohavemanifestedanumericallyproportionatesuperiorityoverthefemalemind,inqueens。 Therehavebeenmorekingsthanqueens,buthavetherebeenmoregoodandgreatones,inproportion? Evenonepracticalandefficientqueenisproofenoughthatbeingawomandoesnotprecludepoliticalcapacity。SinceEnglandhashadsuchanablequeenforsolong,andthatwithinMrs。HumphryWard’spersonalmemory,herpositionseemsfatuousintheextreme。 Ithasbeenadvancedthatgreatqueensowedtheirpowertotheassociationandadviceofthenobleandhigh—mindedmenwhosurroundedthem;and,further,thatthepoorshowingmadebymanykings,wasduetotheassociationandviceofthebaseandlow—mindedwomenwhosurroundedthem。 Thisisaparticularlypusillanimousclaiminthefirstplace;isnotprovableinthesecondplace;and,ifitweretrue,opensupaveryprettyfieldofstudyinthethirdplace。Itwouldseemtoprove,ifitprovesanything,thatmenarenotfittobetrustedwithpoliticalpoweronaccountofanalarmingaffinityfortheworstofwomen;and,conversely,thatwomen,ascommandingtheassistanceofthebestofmen,arevisiblytherightrulers!Alsoitopensapleasantsidelightonthatoft—recommendedtool——\"feminineinfluence。\" Wenowcometoouropeningobjection;thatsocietyandstate,home,andfamily,arebestservedbythepresentdivisionofinterests:anditscorollary,thatifwomenenlargethatfieldofinterestitwouldreducetheirusefulnessintheirpresentsphere。 Thecorollaryiseasilyremoved。Wearenowonthebroadgroundofestablishedfacts;ofhistory,recent,butstillachieved。 Womenhavehadequalpoliticalrightswithmeninseveralplaces,forconsiderableperiodsoftime。InWyoming,tocomenearhome,theyhaveenjoyedthisstatusformorethanageneration。Neitherherenorinanyotherstateorcountrywherewomenvote,istherethefaintestproofofinjurytothehomeorfamilyrelation。InWyoming,indeed,divorcehasdecreased,whilegainingsofastinotherplaces。 Politicalknowledge,politicalinterest,doesnottakeupmoretimeandstrengththananyotherformofmentalactivity;nordoesitprecludeakeenefficiencyinotherlines;andasfortheactualtimerequiredtoperformtheaveragedutiesofcitizenship——itisacontemptiblebitoftrickeryinargument,ifnotmereignoranceandconfusionofidea,tourgetheoccasionalattendanceonpoliticalmeetings,ortheannualorbi—annualdroppingofaballot,asanyinterferencewiththemanagementofahouse。 Itisproven,byyearsonyearsofestablishedexperience,thatwomencanenjoyfullpoliticalequalityandusetheirpower,withoutintheleastceasingtobecontentedandefficientwivesandmothers,cooksandhousekeepers。 Whatreallyhorrifiesthepopularmindatthethoughtofwomeninpolitics,isthepictureofwomanasa\"practicalpolitician;\"givinghertimetoitasabusiness,andmakingmoneybyit,inquestionable,orunquestionable,ways;and,further,asapoliticianinoffice,assheriff,alderman,senator,judge。 Thepopularmindbecomessuffusedwithhorroratthefirstidea,andscarcelylesssoatthesecond。ItpicturesblushinggirlhoodontheBench;tendermotherhoodintheSenate;thehousewifeturned\"ward—heeler;\"andbecomesquitesickincontemplationoftheseabominations。 Noeducatedmind,practicalmind,nomindableandwillingtouseitsfaculties,needbemisledforamomentbythesesophistries。 Thereisabsolutelynoevidencethatwomenasaclasswillrushinto\"practicalpolitics。\"Wheretheyhavevotedlongesttheydonotmanifestthisdreadresult。Neitheristhereanyproofthattheywillalldesiretoholdoffice;orthatanyconsiderableportionofthemwill;orthat,iftheydid,theywouldgetit。 Weseemunconsciouslytoassumethatwhenwomenbegintovote,menwillstop;orthatthewomenwilloutnumberthemen;alsothat,outnumberingthem,theywillbecompletelyunitedintheirvote;and,stillfurther,thatsooutnumberinganduniting,theywillsolidlyvoteforaticketcomposedwhollyofwomencandidates。 Doesanyoneseriouslyimaginethistobelikely? Thismaybestatedwithassurance;ifeverwedoseeaclever,designing,flirtatious,man—twistingwoman;orapretty,charming,irresistableyounggirl,electedtooffice——itwillnotbebythevotesofwomen! Wherewomenareelectedtooffice,bythevotesofbothmenandwomen,theyareofsuitableageandabilities,anddotheirworkwell。Theyhavealreadygreatlyimprovedsomeoftheconditionsoflocalpolitics,andthelegislationtheyadvocateisofabeneficialcharacter。 Whatisthetruerelationofwomentothestate? Itispreciselyidenticalwiththatofmen。Theirformsofservicemayvary,buttheirduty,theirinterest,theirresponsibility,isthesame。 Herearethepeopleonearth,halfofthemwomen,allofthemherchildren。Itisherearthasmuchashis;thepeoplearetheirpeople,thestatetheirstate;compoundedofthemall,induerelation。 Asthefatherandmother,together;shelter,guard,teachandprovidefortheirchildreninthehome;soshouldallfathersandmothers,together;shelter,guard,teachandprovidefortheircommonchildren,thecommunity。 Thestateisnomystery;notabooplaceofmasculinesecrecy;itissimplyus。 Democracyisbutahalf—grownchildasyet,oneoftwins?Itsboy—halfisastrugglingthing,with\"thediseasesofbabyhood\";itsgirl—halfhashardlybeguntotakenotice。 Ashumancreatureswehavepreciselythesamedutyandprivilege,interest,andpowerinthestate;sharingitsprotection,itsadvantages,anditsservices。Aswomenwehaveadifferentrelation。 Hereindeedwewilladmit,andgloryin,our\"diversity。\"The\"eternalwomanly\"isafarmoreusefulthinginthestatethanthe\"eternalmanly。\" Tobewomanmeanstobemother。Tobemothermeanstogivelove,defense,nourishment,care,instruction。Toolong,fartoolonghasmotherhoodneglecteditsrealsocialduties,itsdutiestohumanityatlarge。Eveninherpositionofretardedindustrialdevelopment,asthehousekeeperandhouseworkeroftheworld,womanhasacontributionofspecialvaluetothestate。 Asthelovingmother,thepatientteacher,thetendernurse,thewiseproviderandcare—taker,shecanservethestate,andthestateneedsherservice。 OURANDROCENTRICCULTURE;OR,THEMAN—MADEWORLD XIII。 INDUSTRYANDECONOMICS。 TheforestofTruth,onthesubjectofindustryandeconomics,isdifficulttoseeonaccountofthetrees。 WehavesomanyFactsonthissubject;somanyOpinions;somanyTraditionsandHabits;andthepressureofImmediateConclusionsissointenseuponusall;thatitisnoteasytoformaclearspaceinone’smindandconsiderthefieldfairly。 Possiblythepresenttreatmentofthesubjectwillappealmosttothemindsofthosewhoknowleastaboutit;suchastheAverageWoman。Toher,Industryisadaylongandlifelongduty,aswellasanaturalimpulse;andeconomicsmeansgoingwithoutthings。Tosuchuntrainedbutalsounprejudicedmindsitshouldbeeasytoshowthemainfactsontheselines。 LetusdisposeofEconomicsfirst,ashavingasolemnscientificappearance。 PhysicalEconomicstreatsoftheinternalaffairsofthebody;thewholemachineryandhowitworks;allorgans,members,functions;eachlastandlittlestcapillaryandleucocyte,arepartsofthat\"economy。\" Nature’s\"economy\"isnotintheleast\"economical。\"Thewasteoflife,thewasteofmaterial,thewasteoftimeandeffort,areprodigious,yetsheachievesherendaswesee。 DomesticEconomicscoversthewholecareandgovernmentofthehousehold;themaintenanceofpeace,health,order,andmorality;thecareandnourishmentofchildrenasfarasdoneathome;theentiremanagementofthehome,aswellasthespendingandsavingofmoney;areincludedinit。Savingistheleastandpoorestpartofit;especiallyasinmereabstinencefromneededthings;mostespeciallywhenthisabstinenceismainly\"Mother’s。\"Howbesttospend;time,strength,love,care,labor,knowledge,andmoney——thisshouldbethemainstudyinDomesticEconomics。 Social,or,astheyareusedtocallit,PoliticalEconomics,coversalarger,butnotessentiallydifferentfield。Afamilyconsistsofpeople,andtheMotheristheirnaturalmanager。Societyconsistsofpeople——_thesamepeople_——onlymoreofthem。Allthepeople,whoaremembersofSociety,arealsomembersoffamilies——exceptsomeincubatedorphansmaybe。SocialEconomicscoversthewholecareandmanagementofthepeople,themaintenanceofpeaceandhealthandorderandmorality; thecareofchildren,asfarasdoneoutofthehome;aswellasthespendingandsavingofthepublicmoney——alltheseareincludedinit。 ThisgreatbusinessofSocialEconomicsisatpresentlittleunderstoodandmostpoorlymanaged,forthisreason;weapproachitfromanindividualpointofview;seekingnotsomuchtodoourshareinthecommonservice,astogetourpersonalprofitfromthecommonwealth。 Wherethewholefamilylaborstogethertoharvestfruitandstoreitforthewinter,wehavelegitimateDomesticEconomics:butwhereonemembertakesandhidesalotforhimself,totheexclusionoftheothers,wehavenoDomesticEconomicsatall——merelyindividualselfishness。 InSocialEconomicswehavealarge,butsimpleproblem。Hereistheearth,ourfarm。Herearethepeople,whoowntheearth。Howcanthemostadvantagetothemostpeoplebeobtainedfromtheearthwiththeleastlabor?ThatistheproblemofSocialEconomics。 Lookingattheworldasifyouhelditinyourhandstostudyanddiscuss,whatdowefindatpresent? Wefindpeoplelivingtoothicklyforhealthandcomfortinsomeplaces,andtoothinlyforothers;wefindmostpeopleworkingtoohardandtoolongathonestlabor;somepeopleworkingwithdamagingintensityatdishonestlabor;andafewwretchedpaupersamongtherichandpoor,degenerateidlerswhodonotworkatall,thescumandthedregsofSociety。 Allthisisbadeconomics。Wedonotgetthecomfortoutoflifeweeasilycould;andworkfartoohardforwhatwedoget。Moreover,thereisnopeace,nosettledsecurity。Nomanissureofhisliving,nomatterhowhardheworks,athousandthingsmayoccurtodeprivehimofhisjob,orhisincome。Inourtimethereisgreatexcitementalongthislineofstudy;andmorethanonepropositionisadvancedwherebywemayimprove,mostnotablyinstancedintheworld—coveringadvanceofSocialism。 InourpresentstudytheprincipalfacttobeexhibitedistheinfluenceofamalecultureuponSocialEconomicsandIndustry。 Industry,asadepartmentofSocialEconomics,islittleunderstood。 Heretoforewehaveviewedthisfieldfromseveralwhollyerroneouspositions。FromtheHebrew(andwhollyandrocentric)religiousteaching,wehaveregardedlaborasacurse。 Nothingcouldbemoreabsurdlyfalse。Laborisnotmerelyameansofsupportinghumanlife——it_is_humanlife。Imaginearaceofbeingslivingwithoutlabor!Theymustbetherudestsavages。 Humanworkconsistsinspecializedindustryandtheexchangeofitsproducts;andwithoutitisnocivilization。Asindustrydevelops,civilizationdevelops;peaceexpands;wealthincreases;scienceandarthelponthesplendidtotal。Productiveindustry,anditsconcomitantofdistributiveindustrycoverthemajorfieldofhumanlife。 Ifourindustrywasnormal,whatshouldwesee? Aworldfullofhealthy,happypeople;eachbusilyengagedinwhatheorshemostenjoysdoing。NormalSpecialization,likeallourvoluntaryprocesses,isaccompaniedbykeenpleasure;andanycheckorinterruptiontoitgivespainandinjury。Whosoeverworksatwhathelovesiswellandhappy。Whosoworksatwhathedoesnotloveisillandmiserable。Itisverybadeconomicstoforceunwillingindustry。 Thatistheweaknessofslavelabor;andofwagelaboralsowherethereisnotfullindustrialeducationandfreedomofchoice。 Undernormalconditionsweshouldseewelldeveloped,welltrainedspecialistshappilyengagedintheworktheymostenjoyed;forreasonablehours(anywork,orplayeither,becomesinjuriousifdonetoolong);andasaconsequencethewholeoutputoftheworldwouldbevastlyimproved,notonlyinquantitybutinquality。 Plainarethemelancholyfactsofwhatwedosee。Followingthatpitifulconceptionoflaborasacurse,comestheveryoldandandrocentrichabitofdespisingitasbelongingtowomen,andthentoslaves。 Asamatteroffactindustryisinitsoriginfeminine;thatis,maternal。Itistheoverflowingfountainofmother—loveandmother—powerwhichfirstpromptsthehumanracetolabor;andforlongagesmenperformednoproductiveindustryatall;beingmerelyhuntersandfighters。 Itisthislackofnaturalinstinctforlaborinthemaleofourspecies,togetherwiththeideasandopinionsbasedonthatlack,andvoicedbyhiminhismanywritings,religiousandother,whichhavegiventotheworlditsfalseestimateofthisgreatfunction,humanwork。Thatwhichisourverylife,ourgreatestjoy,ourroadtoalladvancement,wehavescornedandoppressed;sothat\"workingpeople,\" the\"workingclasses,\"\"havingtowork,\"etc。,aretothisdayspokenofwithcontempt。Perhapsdronesspeaksoamongthemselvesofthe\"workingbees!\" Normally,wideningoutfromthemother’scarefulandgenerousserviceinthefamily,tocareful,generousserviceintheworld,weshouldfindlaborfreelygiven,withloveandpride。 Abnormally,crushedundertheburdenofandrocentricscornandprejudice,wehavelaborgrudginglyproducedunderpressureofnecessity;laborofslavesunderfearofthewhip,orofwage—slaves,onestephigher,underfearofwant。Longageswhereinhuntingandfightingweretheonlymanlyoccupations,havelefttheirheavyimpress。 Thepredaciousinstinctandthecombativeinstinctweighdownanddisfigureoureconomicdevelopment。WhatVeblencalls\"theinstinctofworkmanship\"growson,slowlyandirresistably;butthemalignfeaturesofourindustriallifearedistinctivelyandrocentric:thedesiretoget,ofthehunter;interferingwiththedesiretogive,ofthemother; thedesiretoovercomeanantagonist——originallymasculine,interferingwiththedesiretoserveandbenefit——originallyfeminine。 Letthereaderkeepinmindthatashumanbeings,menareabletoover—livetheirmasculinenaturesanddonobleservicetotheworld; alsothatashumanbeingstheyaretodayfarmorehighlydevelopedthanwomen,anddoingfarmorefortheworld。Thepointherebroughtoutisthatasmalestheiruncheckedsupremacyhasresultedintheabnormalpredominanceofmasculineimpulsesinourhumanprocesses;andthatthispredominancehasbeenlargelyinjurious。 Asithappens,thedistinctlyfeminineormaternalimpulsesarefarmorenearlyinlinewithhumanprogressthanarethoseofthemale;whichmakesherexclusionfromhumanfunctionsthemoremischievous。 OurcurrentteachingsintheinfantscienceofPoliticalEconomyarenaivelymasculine。Theyassumeasunquestionablethat\"theeconomicman\"willneverdoanythingunlesshehasto;willonlydoittoescapepainorattainpleasure;andwill,inevitably,takeallhecanget,anddoallhecantooutwit,overcome,andifnecessarydestroyhisantagonist。 Alwaystheantagonist;tothemalemindanantagonistisessentialtoprogress,toallachievement。Hehasplantedthatroot—thoughtinallthehumanworld;fromthatoldhideousideaofSatan,\"TheAdversary,\" downtothecompetitorinbusiness,ortheboyattheheadoftheclass,tobesupersededbyanother。 Therefore,eveninscience,\"thestruggleforexistence\"isthedominantlaw——tothemalemind,withthe\"survivalofthefittest\"and\"theeliminationoftheunfit。\" Thereforeinindustryandeconomicswefindalwaysandeverywheretheantagonist;thenecessityforsomebodyorsomethingtobeovercome——elsewhymakeaneffort?Ifyouhavenottheincentiveofreward,ortheincentiveofcombat,whywork?\"Competitionisthelifeoftrade。\" ThustheEconomicMan。 ButhowabouttheEconomicWoman? Totheandrocentricmindshedoesnotexist。Womenarefemales,andthat’sall;theirworkingabilitiesarelimitedtopersonalservice。 Thatitwouldbepossibletodevelopindustrytofargreaterheights,andtofindinsocialeconomicsasimpleandbeneficialprocessforthepromotionofhumanlifeandprosperity,underanyotherimpulsethanthesetwo,DesireandCombat,ishardindeedtorecognize——forthe\"malemind。\" Soabsolutelyinterwovenareourexistingconceptsofmalenessandhumanness,sosurearewethatmenarepeopleandwomenonlyfemales,thattheclaimofequalweightanddignityinhumanaffairsofthefeminineinstinctsandmethodsisscoutedasabsurd。Wefindexistingindustryalmostwhollyinmalehands;finditdoneasmendoit;assumethatthatisthewayitmustbedone。 Whenwomensuggestthatitcouldbedonedifferently,theirproposaliswavedaside——theyare\"onlywomen\"——theirideasare\"womanish。\" Agreed。Soaremen\"onlymen,\"theirideasare\"mannish\";andofthetwothewomenaremorevitallyhumanthanthemen。 Thefemaleistherace—type——themanthevariant。 Thefemale,asarace—type,havingthefemaleprocessesbesides;bestperformstheraceprocesses。Themale,however,haswithgreatdifficultydevelopedthem,alwaysheavilyhandicappedbyhismaleness; beinginoriginessentiallyacreatureofsex,andsodominatedalmostexclusivelybyseximpulses。 Thehumaninstinctofmutualserviceischeckedbythemasculineinstinctofcombat;thehumantendencytospecializeinlabor,torejoicinglypourforceinlinesofspecializedexpression,ischeckedbythepredaciousinstinct,whichwillexertitselfforreward;anddisfiguredbythemasculineinstinctofself—expression,whichisanentirelydifferentthingfromthegreathumanoutpouringofworldforce。 Greatmen,theworld’steachersandleaders,aregreatinhumanness; meremalenessdoesnotmakeforgreatnessunlessitbeinwarfare——adisadvantageousglory!Greatwomenalsomustbegreatinhumanness;buttheirfemaleinstinctsarenotsosubversiveofhumanprogressasaretheinstinctsofthemale。Tobeateacherandleader,toloveandserve,toguardandguideandhelp,arewellinlinewithmotherhood。 \"Aretheynotalsoinlinewithfatherhood?\"willbeasked;and,\"Arenotthefather’spaternalinstinctsmasculine?\" No,theyarenot;theydifferinnowayfromthematernal,insofarastheyarebeneficial。Parentalfunctionsofthehighersort,ofthehumansort,areidentical。Thefathercangivehischildrenmanyadvantageswhichthemothercannot;butthatisduetohissuperiorityasahumanbeing。Hepossessesfarmoreknowledgeandpowerintheworld,thehumanworld;hehimselfismoredevelopedinhumanpowersandprocesses;andisthereforeabletodomuchforhischildrenwhichthemothercannot;butthisisinnowayduetohismasculinity。Itisinthisdevelopmentofhumanpowersinman,throughfatherhood,thatwemayreadtheexplanationofourshortperiodofandrocentricculture。 Sothoroughandcompleteareversalofpreviousrelation,suchcontinuanceofwhatappearsineverywayanunnaturalposition,musthavehadsomejustificationinracialadvantages,oritcouldnothaveendured。Thisisitsjustification;theestablishmentofhumannessinthemale;hebeingledintoit,alongnaturallines,bytheexerciseofpreviouslyexistingdesires。 Inamaleculturetheattractingforcesmustinevitablyhavebeen,wehaveseen,DesireandCombat。Thesemasculineforces,actinguponhumanprocesses,whilenecessarytotheupliftingoftheman,havebeenanythingbutupliftingtocivilization。Asexwhichthinks,feelsandactsintermsofcombatisdifficulttoharmonizeinthesmoothbondsofhumanrelationship;thattheyhavesucceededsowellisabeautifultestimonytothesuperiorpowerofracetendencyoversextendency。 Unitingandorganizing,crudelyandtemporarily,forthecommonhunt; andthen,withprogressiveelaboration,forthecommonfight;theyarenowusingthesametactics——andthesamedesires,unfortunately——incommonwork。 Union,organization,complexinterservice,aretheessentialprocessesofagrowingsociety;inthem,intheever—increasingdischargeofpoweralongwideninglinesofaction,isthejoyandhealthofsociallife。 Butsofarmencombineinordertobettercombat;themutualserviceheldincidentaltothecommonendofconquestandplunder。 Inspiteofthistheovermasteringpowerofhumannessisnowdevelopingamongmodernmenimmenseorganizationsofawhollybeneficialcharacter,withnopurposebutmutualadvantage。Thisistruehumangrowth,andassuchwillinevitablytaketheplaceofthesex—prejudicedearlierprocesses。 ThehumancharacteroftheChristianreligionisnowbeingmoreandmoreinsistedon;thepracticalloveandserviceofeachandall;inplaceoftheoldinsistenceonDesire——foraCrownandHarpinHeaven,andCombat——withthateverlastingadversary。 Ineconomicsthisgreatchangeisrapidlygoingonbeforeoureyes。Itisachangeinidea,inbasicconcept,inourtheoryofwhatthewholethingisabout。Wearebeginningtoseetheworld,notas\"afairfieldandnofavor\"——notaplaceforonemantogetaheadofothers,foraprice;butasanestablishmentbelongingtous,theproceedsofwhicharetobeapplied,asamatterofcourse,tohumanadvantage。 Intheoldidea,thewhollymasculineidea,basedontheprocessesofsex—combat,theadvantageoftheworldlayinhaving\"thebestmanwin。\" Some,inthefirststepsofenthusiasmforEugenics,thinksostill; imaginingthattheprimalprocessofpromotingevolutionthroughthepaternityoftheconqueringmaleisthebestprocess。 Tohaveonesuperiorlionkillsixorsixtyinferiorlions,andleaveaprogenyofmoresuperiorlionsbehindhim,isallright——forlions;thesuperiorityinfightingbeingallthesuperioritytheyneed。 Butthemanabletooutwithisfollows,todestroytheminphysical,orruininfinancial,combat,isnotthereforeasuperiorhumancreature。 Evenphysicalsuperiority,asafighter,doesnotprovethekindofvigorbestcalculatedtoresistdisease,ortoadaptitselftochangingconditions。 ThatourmasculinecultureinitseffectonEconomicsandIndustryisinjurious,isclearlyshownbythewholeopenpageofhistory。Fromthesimplebeneficentactivitiesofamatriarchalperiodwefollowthesamelamentablesteps;nationafternation。Womenareenslavedandcaptivesareenslaved;amilitarydespotismisdeveloped;laborisdespisedanddiscouraged。Thenwhentheirresistiblesocialforcesdobringusonward,inscience,art,commerce,andallthatwecallcivilization,wefindthesamecheckactingalwaysuponthatprogress;andthereallyvitalsocialprocessesofproductionanddistributionheavilyinjuredbythefinancialcombatandcarnagewhichrageseveroverandamongthem。 Therealdevelopmentofthepeople,theformingoffinerphysiques,finerminds,ahigherlevelofefficiency,abroaderrangeofenjoymentandaccomplishment——ishinderedandnothelpedbythisartificiallymaintained\"struggleforexistence,\"thisconstantendeavortoeliminatewhat,fromamasculinestandard,is\"unfit。\" Thatwehaveprogressedthusfar,thatwearenowmovingforwardsorapidly,isinspiteofandnotbecauseofourandrocentricculture。 OURANDROCENTRICCULTURE;OR,THEMAN—MADEWORLD XIV。 AHUMANWORLD。 Inthechangefromthedominanceofonesextotheequalpoweroftwo,towhatmaywelookforward?Whateffectuponcivilizationistobeexpectedfromtheequalityofwomanhoodinthehumanrace? Toputthemostnaturalquestionfirst——whatwillmenlosebyit?Manymenaregenuinelyconcernedaboutthis;fearingsomenewpositionofsubservienceanddisrespect。Otherslaughattheveryideaofchangeintheirposition,relyingasalwaysontheheavierfist。Solongasfightingwasthedeterminingprocess,thebestfightermustneedswin; butintherearrangementofprocesseswhichmarksourage,superiorphysicalstrengthdoesnotmakethepoorerwealthy,noreventhesoldierageneral。 Themajorprocessesoflifeto—dayarequitewithinthepowersofwomen; womenarefulfillingtheirnewrelationsmoreandmoresuccessfully; gatheringnewstrength,newknowledge,newideals。Thechangeisuponus;whatwillitdotomen? Noharm。 Asweareamonogamousrace,therewillbenosuchdrasticandcruelselectionamongcompetingmalesaswouldeliminatethevastmajorityasunfit。Eventhoughsomebeconsideredunfitforfatherhood,allhumanliferemainsopentothem。Perhapsthemostimportantfeatureofthischangecomesinrighthere;alongthisoldlineofsex—selection,replacingthatpowerintherighthands,andusingitforthegoodoftherace。 Thewoman,freeatlast,intelligent,recognizingherrealplaceandresponsibilityinlifeasahumanbeing,willbenotless,butmore,efficientasamother。Shewillunderstandthat,inthelineofphysicalevolution,motherhoodisthehighestprocess;andthatherwork,asacontributiontoanimprovedrace,mustalwaysinvolvethisgreatfunction。Shewillseethatrightparentageisthepurposeofthewholeschemeofsex—relationship,andactaccordingly。 Inourtime,hishumanfacultiesbeingsufficientlydeveloped,civilizedmancanlookoverandaroundhissexlimitations,andbegintoseewhatarethetruepurposesandmethodsofhumanlife。 HeisnowbeginningtolearnthathisowngoverningnecessityofDesireisnot_the_governingnecessityofparentage,butonlyacontributorytendency;andthat,intheinterestsofbetterparentage,motherhoodisthedominantfactor,andmustbesoconsidered。 Inslowreluctantadmissionofthisfact,manheretoforehasrecognizedoneclassofwomenasmothers;andhasgrantedthemavaryingamountofconsiderationassuch;buthehasnonethelessinsistedonmaintaininganotherclassofwomen,forbiddenmotherhood,andmerelysubservienttohisdesires;abarren,mischievousunnaturalrelation,whollyasidefromparentalpurposes,andabsolutelyinjurioustosociety。Thiswholefieldofmorbidactionwillbeeliminatedfromhumanlifebythenormaldevelopmentofwomen。 Itisnotaquestionofinterferingwithorpunishingmen;stilllessofinterferingwithorpunishingwomen;butpurelyamatterofchangededucationandopportunityforeverychild。 Eachandallshallbetaughttherealnatureandpurposeofmotherhood; therealnatureandpurposeofmanhood;whateachisfor,andwhichisthemoreimportant。Anewsenseofthepowerandprideofwomanhoodwillwaken;awomanhoodnolongersunkinhelplessdependenceuponmen; nolongerlimitedtomereunpaidhouse—service;nolongerblindedbythefalsemoralitywhichsubjectsevenmotherhoodtoman’sdominance;butawomanhoodwhichwillrecognizeitspre—eminentresponsibilitytothehumanrace,andliveuptoit。Then,withallnormalandrightcompetitionamongmenforthefavorofwomen,thosebestfittedforfatherhoodwillbechosen。Thosewhoarenotchosenwilllivesingle——perforce。 Many,undertheoldmistakennotionofwhatusedtobecalledthe\"socialnecessity\"ofprostitution,willprotestattheideaofitsextinction。 \"Itisnecessarytohaveit,\"theywillsay。 \"Necessary_towhom?_\" Nottothewomenhideouslysacrificedtoit,surely。 Nottosociety,honey—combedwithdiseasesduetothiscause。 Nottothefamily,weakenedandimpoverishedbyit。 Towhomthen?Tothemenwhowantit? Butitisnotgoodforthem,itpromotesallmannerofdisease,ofvice,ofcrime。Itisabsolutelyandunquestionablya\"socialevil。\" Anintelligentandpowerfulwomanhoodwillputanendtothisindulgenceofonesexattheexpenseoftheother;andtotheinjuryofboth。 Inthisinevitablechangewillliewhatsomemenwillconsideraloss。 Butonlythoseofthepresentgeneration。Forthesonsofthewomennowenteringuponthisneweraofworldlifewillbedifferentlyreared。 Theywillrecognizethetruerelationofmentotheprimalprocess;andbeamazedthatforsolongthegreatervalueshavebeenlostsightofinfavoroftheless。 Thisonechangewilldomoretopromotethephysicalhealthandbeautyoftherace;toimprovethequalityofchildrenborn,andthegeneralvigorandpurityofsociallife,thananyonemeasurewhichcouldbeproposed。Itrestsuponarecognitionofmotherhoodastherealbaseandcauseofthefamily;anddismissestothelimboofalloutwornsuperstitionthatfalseHebraicandgrosslyandrocentricdoctrinethatthewomanistobesubjecttotheman,andthatheshallruleoverher。 Hehastriedthisarrangementlongenough——tothegrievousinjuryoftheworld。Ahigherstandardofhappinesswillresult;equalityandmutualrespectbetweenparents;purelove,undefiledbyself—interestsoneitherside;andanewrespectforChildhood。 WiththeChild,seenatlasttobethegoverningpurposeofthisrelation,withallthebestenergiesofmenandwomenbentonraisingthestandardoflifeforallchildren,weshallhaveanewstatusoffamilylifewhichwillbecleanandnoble,andsatisfyingtoallitsmembers。 Thechangeinallthevariedlinesofhumanworkisbeyondthepowersofanypresentdayprophettoforecastwithprecision。Anewgradeofwomanhoodwecanclearlyforesee;proud,strong,serene,independent; greatmothersofgreatwomenandgreatmen。Thesewillholdhighstandardsanddrawmenuptothem;bynocompulsionsavenature’slawofattraction。Acleanandhealthfulworld,enjoyingthetasteoflifeasitneverhassinceracialbabyhood,withhomesofquietandcontent——thiswecanforesee。 Art——intheextremesensewillperhapsalwaysbelongmosttomen。Itwouldseemasifthatceaselessurgetoexpression,was,atleastoriginally,mostcongenialtothemale。Butappliedart,ineveryform,andartuseddirectlyfortransmissionofideas,suchasliterature,ororatory,appealstowomenasmuch,ifnotmore,thantomen。 Wecanmakenosafeassumptionastowhat,ifany,distinctiontherewillbeinthefreehumanworkofmenandwomen,untilwehaveseengenerationaftergenerationgrowupunderabsolutelyequalconditions。 Inallourgamesandsportsandminorsocialcustoms,suchchangeswilloccurasmustneedsfollowupontherisingdignityallotedtothewoman’stemperament,thewoman’spointofview;notintheleastdenyingtomenthefullestexerciseoftheirspecialpowersandpreferences;butclassifyingthesenewly,asnothuman——merelymale。Atpresentwehavepagesorcolumnsinourpapers,markedas\"TheWoman’sPage\"\"OfInteresttoWomen,\"andsimilardelimitingtitles。Similarlywemighthavedistinctlymasculinematterssomarkedandspecified;notassumedasnowtobeofgeneralhumaninterest。 TheeffectofthechangeuponEthicsandReligionisdeepandwide。 Withtheentranceofwomenuponfullhumanlife,anewprinciplecomesintoprominence;theprincipleoflovingservice。ThatthisisthegoverningprincipleofChristianityisbelievedbymany;butanandrocentricinterpretationhasquiteoverlookedit;andmade,aswehaveshown,theessentialdogmaoftheirfaiththedesireofaneternalrewardandthecombatwithaneternalenemy。 Thefeminineattitudeinlifeiswhollydifferent。Asafemaleshehasmerelytobeherselfandpassivelyattract;neithertocompetenortopursue;asamotherherwholeprocessisoneofgrowth;firstthedevelopmentofthelivechildwithinher,andthewonderfulnourishmentfromherownbody;andthenallthelatercultivationtomakethechildgrow;allthewatching,teaching,guarding,feeding。Innoneofthisisthereeitherdesire,combat,orself—expression。Thefeminineattitude,asexpressedinreligion,makesofitapatientpracticalfulfillmentoflaw;aprocessoflargesureimprovements;alimitlesscomfortingloveandcare。 Thisfullassuranceofloveandofpower;thisendlesscheerfulservice; thebroadprovisionforallpeople;ratherthanthecompetitiveselectionofafew\"victors;\"isthenaturalpresentationofreligioustruthfromthewoman’sviewpoint。Hergoverningprinciplebeinggrowthandnotcombat;hermaintendencybeingtogiveandnottoget;shemoreeasilyandnaturallylivesandteachesthesereligiousprinciples。ItisforthisreasonthatthebroadergentlerteachingoftheUnitarianandUniversalistsectshaveappealedsoespeciallytowomen,andthatsomanywomenpreachintheirchurches。 Thisprincipleofgrowth,asappliedandusedingeneralhumanlifewillworktofarotherendsthanthosenowsopainfullyvisible。 Ineducation,forinstance,withneitherrewardnorpunishmentasspurorbait;withnocompetitiontorouseeffortandanimosity,butratherwiththefeelingofagardenertowardshisplants;theteacherwillteachandthechildrenlearn,inmutualeaseandhappiness。Thelawofpassiveattractionapplieshere,leadingtosuchingenuityinpresentationasshallarousethechild’sinterest;and,inthetruespiritofpromotinggrowth,eachchildwillhavehisbestandfullesttraining,withoutregardtowhois\"ahead\"ofhim,orher,orwho\"behind。\" Wedonotsadlymeasurethecabbage—stalkbythecorn—stalk,andpraisethecornforgettingaheadofthecabbage——norincitethecabbagetoemulatethecorn。Wenourishboth,toitsbestgrowth——andarethericher。 Thateverychildonearthshallhaverightconditionstomakethebestgrowthpossibletoit;thateverycitizen,frombirthtodeath,shallhaveachancetolearnallheorshecanassimilate,todevelopeverypowerthatisinthem——forthecommongood——thiswillbetheaimofeducation,underhumanmanagement。 Intheworldof\"society\"wemaylookforveryradicalchanges。 Withallwomenfullhumanbeings,trainedandusefulinsomeformofwork;theclassofbusyidlers,whorunaboutforever\"entertaining\"andbeing\"entertained\"willdisappearasutterlyaswilltheprostitute。 Nowomanwithrealworktodocouldhavethetimeforsuchpettyamusements;orenjoythemifshedidhavetime。Nowomanwithrealworktodo,workshelovedandwaswellfittedfor,workhonoredandwell—paid,wouldtakeuptheUnnaturalTrade。Genuinerelaxationandrecreation,allmannerofhealthfulsportsandpastimes,belovedofbothsexesto—day,willremain,ofcourse;butthesetstructureof\"socialfunctions\"——solaughablymisnamed——willdisappearwiththe\"societywomen\"whomakeitpossible。OnceactivemembersofrealSociety;nowomancouldgobackto\"society,\"anymorethanaroughridercouldreturntoahobbyhorse。 Newdevelopmentindress,wise,comfortable,beautiful,maybeconfidentlyexpected,aswomanbecomesmorehuman。Nofullyhumancreaturecouldholdupitsheadundertheabsurditiesourwomenwearto—day——andhavewornfordrearycenturies。 Soonthroughalltheaspectsoflifewemaylookforchanges,rapidandfar—reaching;butnaturalandallforgood。Theimprovementisnotduetoanyinherentmoralsuperiorityofwomen;nortoanymoralinferiorityofmen;menatpresent,asmorehuman,areaheadofwomeninalldistinctlyhumanways;yettheirmaleness,aswehaveshownrepeatedly,warpsanddisfigurestheirhumanness。Thewoman,beingbynaturetherace—type;andherfemininefunctionsbeingfarmoreakintohumanfunctionsthanarethoseessentialtothemale;willbringintohumanlifeamorenormalinfluence。 Underthismorenormalinfluenceourpresentperversitiesoffunctionswill,ofcourse,tendtodisappear。Thedirectlyserviceabletendencyofwomen,asshownineverystepoftheirpublicwork,willhavesmallpatiencewithhoarytraditionsofabsurdity。Weneedbutlookatlongrecordedfactstoseewhatwomendo——ortrytodo,whentheyhaveopportunity。Evenintheircrippled,smotheredpast,theyhavemadevaliantefforts——notalwayswise——incharityandphilanthropy。 Inourowntimethisisshownthroughallthelengthandbreadthofourcountry,bytheWoman’sClubs。Littlegroupsofwomen,drawingtogetherinhumanrelation,atfirst,perhaps,withnobetterpurposethanto\"improvetheirminds,\"havegrownandspread;combinedandfederated; andintheirgreatreports,representinghundredsofthousandsofwomen——wefindasplendidrecordofhumanwork。Theystrivealwaystoimprovesomething,totakecareofsomething,tohelpandserveandbenefit。In\"villageimprovement,\"intravelinglibraries,inlecturecoursesandexhibitions,inpromotinggoodlegislation;inmanyalineofnobleeffortourWomen’sClubsshowwhatwomenwanttodo。 Mendonothavetodothesethingsthroughtheirclubs,whicharemainlyforpleasure;theycanaccomplishwhattheywishtothroughregularchannels。Butthecharacteranddirectionoftheinfluenceofwomeninhumanaffairsisconclusivelyestablishedbythethingstheyalreadydoandtrytodo。Inthosecountries,andinourownstates,wheretheyarealreadyfullcitizens,thelegislationintroducedandpromotedbythemisofthesamebeneficentcharacter。Thenormalwomanisastrongcreature,lovingandserviceable。Thekindofwomanmenareafraidtoentrustwithpoliticalpower,selfish,idle,over—sexed,orignorantandnarrow—minded,isnotnormal,butisthecreatureofconditionsmenhavemade。Weneedhavenofearofher,forshewilldisappearwiththeconditionswhichcreatedher。 Inolderdays,withoutknowledgeofthenaturalsciences,weacceptedlifeasstatic。If,beingborninChina,wegrewupwithfoot—boundwomen,weassumedthatwomenweresuch,andmustsoremain。BorninIndia,weacceptedthechild—wife,thepitifulchild—widow,theecstatic_suttee_,asnaturalexpressionsofwomanhood。Ineachage,eachcountry,wehaveassumedlifetobenecessarilywhatitwas——amovelessfact。 Allthisisgivingwayfastinournewknowledgeofthelawsoflife。 WefindthatGrowthistheeternallaw,andthatevenrocksareslowlychanging。Humanlifeisseentobeasdynamicasanyotherform;andthemostcertainthingaboutitisthatitwillchange。Inthelightofthisknowledgeweneednolongeraccepttheloadofwhatwecall\"sin;\" thegroupedmiseryofpoverty,diseaseandcrime;thecumbrous,inefficatious,wastefulprocessesoflifetoday,asneedfulorpermanent。 Wehavebuttolearnthe_real_elementsinhumanity;itstruepowersandnaturalcharacteristics;toseewhereinwearehamperedbythewrongideasandinheritedhabitsofearliergenerations,andbreakloosefromthem——thenwecansafelyandswiftlyintroduceafarnoblergradeofliving。 Ofallcripplinghindrancesinfalseideas,wehavenonemoreuniversallymischievousthanthisrooterroraboutmenandwomen。Giventheoldandrocentrictheory,andwehaveanandrocentricculture——thekindwesofarknow;thisshortstretchwecall\"history;\"withitsproudandpitifulrecord。Wehavedonewondersofupwardgrowth——forgrowthisthemainlaw,andmaynotbewhollyresisted。Butwehavehindered,perverted,temporarilycheckedthatgrowth,ageafterage;andagainandagainhasagivennation,faradvancedandpromising,sunktoruin,andleftanothertotakeupitstaskofsocialevolution;repeatitserrors——anditsfailure。 Onemajorcauseofthedecayofnationsis\"thesocialevil\"——athingwhollyduetotheandrocentricculture。Anothersteadyendlesscheckiswarfare——duetothesamecause。Largestofallispoverty;thatspreadingdiseasewhichgrowswithoursocialgrowthandshowsmosthorriblywhenandwherewearemostproud,keepingstep,asitwere,withprivatewealth。Thistoo,inlargemeasure,isduetothefalseideasonindustryandeconomics,based,liketheothersmentioned,onawhollymasculineviewoflife。 Bychangingourunderlyingtheoryinthismatterwechangealltheresultantassumptions;anditisthisalterationinourbasictheoryoflifewhichisbeingurged。 Thescopeandpurposeofhumanlifeisentirelyaboveandbeyondthefieldofsexrelationship。Womenarehumanbeings,asmuchasmen,bynature;andaswomen,areevenmoresympatheticwithhumanprocesses。 Todevelophumanlifeinitstruepowersweneedfullequalcitizenshipforwomen。 Thegreatwoman’smovementandlabormovementofto—dayarepartsofthesamepressure,thesameworld—progress。Aneconomicdemocracymustrestonafreewomanhood;andafreewomanhoodinevitablyleadstoaneconomicdemocracy。