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。