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than　the　oldest　savagery。

Besides　our　games　and　sports　we　have　a　large　field　of　〃amusements〃　also
worth　examining。　　We　not　only　enjoy　doing　things；　but　we　enjoy　seeing
them　done　by　others。　　In　these　highly　specialized　days　most　of　our
amusement　consists　in　paying　two　dollars　to　sit　three　hours　and　see
other　people　do　things。

This　in　its　largest　sense　is　wholly　human。　　We；　as　social　creatures；　can
enjoy　a　thousand　forms　of　expression　quite　beyond　the　personal。　　The
birds　must　each　sing　his　own　song；　the　crickets　chirp　in　millionfold
performance；　but　human　being　feels　the　deep　thrill　of　joy　in　their
special　singers；　actors；　dancers；　as　well　as　in　their　own　personal
attempts。　　That　we　should　find　pleasure　in　watching　one　another　is
humanly　natural；　but　what　it　is　we　watch；　the　kind　of　pleasure　and　the
kind　of　performance；　opens　a　wide　field　of　choice。

We　know；　for　instance；　something　of　the　crude　excesses　of　aboriginal
Australian　dances；　we　know　more　of　the　gross　license　of　old　Rome；　we
know　the　breadth　of　the　jokes　in　medieval　times；　and　the　childish
brutality　of　the　bull…ring　and　the　cockpit。　　We　know；　in　a　word；　that
amusements　vary；　that　they　form　a　ready　gauge　of　character　and　culture；
that　they　have　a　strong　educational　influence　for　good　or　bad。　　What　we
have　not　hitherto　observed　is　the　predominant　masculine　influence　on　our
amusements。　　If　we　recall　once　more　the　statement　with　regard　to
entertaining　anecdotes；　〃There　are　thirty　good　stories　in　the　world；　and
twenty…nine　of　them　cannot　be　told　to　women；〃　we　get　a　glaring　sidelight
on　the　masculine　specialization　in　jokes。

〃Women　have　no　sense　of　humor〃　has　been　frequently　said；　when　〃Women
have　not　a　masculine　sense　of　humor〃　would　be　truer。　　If　women　had
thirty　〃good　stories〃　twenty…nine　of　which　could　not　be　told　to　men；　it
is　possible　that　men；　if　they　heard　some　of　the　twenty…nine；　would　not
find　them　funny。　　The　overweight　of　one　sex　has　told　in　our　amusements
as　everywhere　else。

Because　men　are　further　developed　in　humanity　than　women　are　as　yet；
they　have　built　and　organized　great　places　of　amusement；　because　they
carried　into　their　humanity　their　unchecked　masculinity；　they　have　made
these　amusements　to　correspond。　　Dramatic　expression；　is　in　its　true
sense；　not　only　a　human　distinction；　but　one　of　our　noblest　arts。　　It　is
allied　with　the　highest　emotions；　is　religious；　educational；　patriotic；
covering　the　whole　range　of　human　feeling。　　Through　it　we　should　be　able
continually　to　express；　in　audible；　visible　forms；　alive　and　moving；
whatever　phase　of　life　we　most　enjoyed　or　wished　to　see。　　There　was　a
time　when　the　drama　led　life；　lifted；　taught；　inspired；　enlightened。　
Now　its　main　function　is　to　amuse。　　Under　the　demand　for　amusement；　it
has　cheapened　and　coarsened；　and　now　the　thousand　vaudevilles　and
picture　shows　give　us　the　broken　fragments　of　a　degraded　art　of　which
our　one　main　demand　is　that　it　shall　make　us　laugh。

There　are　many　causes　at　work　here；　and　while　this　study　seeks　to　show
in　various　fields　one　cause；　it　does　not　claim　that　cause　is　the　only
one。　　Our　economic　conditions　have　enormous　weight　upon　our　amusements；
as　on　all　other　human　phenomena；　but　even　under　economic　pressure　the
reactions　of　men　and　women　are　often　dissimilar。　　Tired　men　and　women
both　need　amusement；　the　relaxation　and　restful　change　of　irresponsible
gayety。　　The　great　majority　of　women；　who　work　longer　hours　than　any
other　class；　need　it　desperately　and　never　get　it。　　Amusement；
entertainment；　recreation；　should　be　open　to　us　all；　enjoyed　by　all。　
This　is　a　human　need；　and　not　a　distinction　of　either　sex。　　Like　most
human　things　it　is　not　only　largely　monopolized　by　men；　but　masculized
throughout。　　Many　forms　of　amusement　are　for　men　only；　more　for　men
mostly；　all　are　for　men　if　they　choose　to　go。

The　entrance　of　women　upon　the　stage；　and　their　increased　attendance　at
theatres　has　somewhat　modified　the　nature　of　the　performance；　even　the
〃refined　vaudeville〃　now　begins　to　show　the　influence　of　women。　　It
would　be　no　great　advantage　to　have　this　department　of　human　life
feminized；　the　improvement　desired　is　to　have　it　less　masculized；　to
reduce　the　excessive　influence　of　one；　and　to　bring　out　those　broad
human　interests　and　pleasures　which　men　and　women　can　equally
participate　in　and　enjoy。



OUR　ANDROCENTRIC　CULTURE；　or；　THE　MAN…MADE　WORLD


VII。

ETHICS　AND　RELIGION。


The　laws　of　physics　were　at　work　before　we　were　on　earth；　and　continued
to　work　on　us　long　before　we　had　intelligence　enough　to　perceive；　much
less　understand；　them。　　Our　proven　knowledge　of　these　processes
constitutes　〃the　science　of　physics〃；　but　the　laws　were　there　before　the
science。

Physics　is　the　science　of　material　relation；　how　things　and　natural
forces　work　with　and　on　one　another。　　Ethics　is　the　science　of　social
relation；　how　persons　and　social　forces　work　with　and　on　one　another。

Ethics　is　to　the　human　world　what　physics　is　to　the　material　world；
ignorance　of　ethics　leaves　us　in　the　same　helpless　position　in　regard　to
one　another　that　ignorance　of　physics　left　us　in　regard　to　earth；　air；
fire　and　water。

To　be　sure；　people　lived　and　died　and　gradually　improved；　while　yet
ignorant　of　the　physical　sciences；　they　developed　a　rough　〃rule　of
thumb〃　method；　as　animals　do；　and　used　great　forces　without
understanding　them。　　But　their　lives　were　safer　and　their　improvement
more　rapid　as　they　learned　more；　and　began　to　make　servants　of　the
forces　which　had　been　their　masters。

We　have　progressed；　lamely　enough；　with　terrible　loss　and　suffering；
from　stark　savagery　to　our　present　degree　of　civilization；　we　shall　go
on　more　safely　and　swiftly　when　we　learn　more　of　the　science　of　ethics。

Let　us　note　first　that　while　the　underlying　laws　of　ethics　remain　steady
and　reliable；　human　notions　of　them　have　varied　widely　and　still　do　so。　
In　different　races；　ages；　classes；　sexes；　different　views　of　ethics
obtain；　the　conduct　of　the　people　is　modified　by　their　views；　and　their
prosperity　is　modified　by　their　conduct。

Primitive　man　became　very　soon　aware　that　conduct　was　of　importance。　　As
consciousness　increased；　with　the　power　to　modify　action　from　within；
instead　of　helplessly　reacting　to　stimuli　from　without；　there　arose　the
crude　first　codes　of　ethics；　the　〃Thou　shalt〃　and　〃Thou　shalt　not〃　of
the　blundering　savage。　　It　was　mostly　〃Thou　shalt　not。〃　　Inhibition；　the
checking　of　an　impulse　proven　disadvantageous；　was　an　earlier　and　easier
form　of　action　than　the　later　human　power　to　consciously　decide　on　and
follow　a　course　of　action　with　no　stimulus　but　one's　own　will。

Primitive　ethics　consists　mostly　of　Tabusthe　things　that　are
forbidden；　and　all　our　dim　notions　of　ethics　to　this　day；　as　well　as
most　of　our　religions；　deal　mainly　with　forbidding。

This　is　almost　the　whole　of　our　nursery　government；　to　an　extent　shown
by　the　well…worn　tale　of　the　child　who　said　her　name　was　〃Mary。〃　　〃Mary
what？〃　they　asked　her。　　And　she　answered；　〃Mary　Don't。〃　　It　is　also　the
main　body　of　our　legal　systemsa　complex　mass　of　prohibitions　and
preventions。　　And　even　in　manners　and　conventions；　the　things　one　should
not　do　far　outnumber　the　things　one　should。　　A　general　policy　of
negation　colors　our　conceptions　of　ethics　and　religion。

When　the　positive　side　began　to　be　developed；　it　was　at　first　in　purely
arbitrary　and　artificial　form。　　The　followers　of　a　given　religion　were
required　to　go　through　certain　motions；　as　prostrating　themselves；
kneeling；　and　the　like；　they　were　required　to　bring　tribute　to　the　gods
and　their　priests；　sacrifices；　tithes；　oblations；　they　were　set　little
special　performances　to　go　through　at　given　times；　the　range　of　things
forbidden　was　broad；　the　range　of　things　commanded　was　narrow。　　The
Christian　religion；　practically　interpreted；　requires　a　fuller　〃change
of　heart〃　and　change　of　life　than　any　preceding　it；　which　may　account　at
once　for　its　wide　appeal　to　enlightened　peoples；　and　to　its　scarcity　of
application。

Again；　in　surveying　the　field；　it　is　seen　that　as　our　grasp　of　ethical
values　widened；　as　we　called　more　and　more　acts　and　tendencies　〃right〃
and　〃wrong；〃　we　have　shown　astonishing　fluctuations　and　vagaries　in　our
judgment。　　Not　only　in　our　religions；　which　have　necessarily　upheld　each
its　own　set　of　prescribed　actions　as　most　〃right；〃　and　its　own　special
prohibitions　as　most　〃wrong〃；　but　in　our　beliefs　about　ethics　and　our
real　conduct；　we　have　varied　absurdly。

Take；　for　instance；　the　ethical　concept　among　〃gentlemen〃　a　century　or
so　since；　which　put　the　paying　of　one's　gambling　debts　as　a　well…nigh
sacred　duty；　and　the　paying　of　a　tradesman　who　had　fed　and　clothed　one
as　a　quite　negligible　matter。　　If　the　process　of　gambling　was　of　social
service；　and　the　furnishing　of　food　and　clothes　was　not；　this　might　be
good　ethics；　but　as　the　contrary　is　true；　we　have　to　account　for　this
peculiar　view　on　other　grounds。

Again；　where　in　Japan　a　girl；　to　maintain　her　parents；　is　justified　in
leading　a　life　of　shame；　we　have　a　peculiar　ethical　standard　difficult
for　Western　minds　to　appreciate。　　Yet　in　such　an　instance　as　is
described　in　〃Au