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。