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。
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