our androcentric culture-第20节

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slowly　but　irresistably　in　the　direction　of　social　improvement。

The　ancient　kings　were　the　joyous　apotheosis　of　masculinity。　　Power　and
Pride　were　theirs；　Limitless　Display；　Boundless　Self…indulgence；
Irresistable　Authority。　　Slaves　and　courtiers　bowed　before　them；
subjects　obeyed　them；　captive　women　filled　their　harems。　　But　the　day　of
the　masculine　monarchy　is　passing；　and　the　day　of　the　human　democracy　is
coming　in。　　In　a　Democracy　Law　and　Government　both　change。　　Laws　are　no
longer　imposed　on　the　people　by　one　above　them；　but　are　evolved　from　the
people　themselves。　　How　absurd　that　the　people　should　not　be　educated　in
the　laws　they　make；　that　the　trailing　remnants　of　blind　submission
should　still　becloud　their　minds　and　make　them　bow　down　patiently　under
the　absurd　pressure　of　outgrown　tradition！

Democratic　government　is　no　longer　an　exercise　of　arbitrary　authority
from　one　above；　but　is　an　organization　for　public　service　of　the　people
themselvesor　will　be　when　it　is　really　attained。

In　this　change　government　ceases　to　be　compulsion；　and　becomes
agreement；　law　ceases　to　be　authority　and　becomes　co…ordination。　　When
we　learn　the　rules　of　whist　or　chess　we　do　not　obey　them　because　we　fear
to　be　punished　if　we　don't；　but　because　we　want　to　play　the　game。　　The
rules　of　human　conduct　are　for　our　own　happiness　and　serviceany　child
can　see　that。　　Every　child　will　see　it　when　laws　are　simplified；　based
on　sociology；　and　taught　in　schools。　　A　child　of　ten　should　be
considered　grossly　uneducated　who　could　not　rewrite　the　main　features　of
the　laws　of　his　country；　state；　and　city；　and　those　laws　should　be　so
simple　in　their　principles　that　a　child　of　ten　could　understand　them。

Teacher：　〃What　is　a　tax？〃

Child：　〃A　tax　is　the　money　we　agree　to　pay　to　keep　up　our　common
advantages。〃

Teacher：　〃Why　do　we　all　pay　taxes？〃

Child：　〃Because　the　country　belongs　to　all　of　us；　and　we　must　all　pay
our　share　to　keep　it　up。〃

Teacher：　〃In　what　proportion　do　we　pay　taxes？〃

Child：　〃In　proportion　to　how　much　money　we　have。〃　　（_Sotto　voce_：　〃Of
course！〃）

Teacher：　〃What　is　it　to　evade　taxes？〃

Child：　〃It　is　treason。〃　　（_Sotto　voce_：　〃And　a　dirty　mean　trick。〃）

In　masculine　administration　of　the　laws　we　may　follow　the　instinctive
love　of　battle　down　through　the　custom　of　〃trial　by　combat〃only
recently　outgrown；　to　our　present　method；　where　each　contending　party
hires　a　champion　to　represent　him；　and　these　fight　it　out　in　a　wordy
war；　with　tricks　and　devices　of　complex　ingenuity；　enjoying　this　kind　of
struggle　as　they　enjoy　all　other　kinds。

It　is　the　old　masculine　spirit　of　government　as　authority　which　is　so
slow　in　adapting　itself　to　the　democratic　idea　of　government　as　service。
　That　it　should　be　a　representative　government　they　grasp；　but
representative　of　what？　of　the　common　will；　they　say；　the　will　of　the
majority；never　thinking　that　it　is　the　common　good；　the　common
welfare；　that　government　should　represent。

It　is　the　inextricable　masculinity　in　our　idea　of　government　which　so
revolts　at　the　idea　of　women　as　voters。　　〃To　govern：〃　that　means　to
boss；　to　control；　to　have　authority；　and　that　only；　to　most　minds。　　They
cannot　bear　to　think　of　the　woman　as　having　control　over　even　their　own
affairs；　to　control　is　masculine；　they　assume。　　Seeing　only
self…interest　as　a　natural　impulse；　and　the　ruling　powers　of　the　state
as　a　sort　of　umpire；　an　authority　to　preserve　the　rules　of　the　game
while　men　fight　it　out　forever；　they　see　in　a　democracy　merely　a　wider
range　of　self　interest；　and　a　wider；　freer　field　to　fight　in。

The　law　dictates　the　rules；　the　government　enforces　them；　but　the　main
business　of　life；　hitherto；　has　been　esteemed　as　one　long　fierce
struggle；　each　man　seeking　for　himself。　　To　deliberately　legislate　for
the　service　of　all　the　people；　to　use　the　government　as　the　main　engine
of　that　service；　is　a　new　process；　wholly　human；　and　difficult　of
development　under　an　androcentric　culture。

Furthermore　they　put　forth　those　naively　androcentric　protests；women
cannot　fight；　and　in　case　their　laws　were　resisted　by　men　they　could　not
enforce　them；_therefore_　they　should　not　vote！

What　they　do　not　so　plainly　say；　but　very　strongly　think；　is　that　women
should　not　share　the　loot　which　to　their　minds　is　so　large　a　part　of
politics。

Here　we　may　trace　clearly　the　social　heredity　of　male　government。

Fix　clearly　in　your　mind　the　first　head…ship　of　manthe　leader　of　the
pack　as　it　werethe　Chief　Hunter。　　Then　the　second　head…ship；　the　Chief
Fighter。　　Then　the　third　head…ship；　the　Chief　of　the　Family。　　Then　the
long　line　of　Chiefs　and　Captains；　Warlords　and　Landlords；　Rulers　and
Kings。

The　Hunter　hunted　for　prey；　and　got　it。　　The　Fighter　enriched　himself
with　the　spoils　of　the　vanquished。　　The　Patriarch　lived　on　the　labor　of
women　and　slaves。　　All　down　the　ages；　from　frank　piracy　and　robbery　to
the　measured　toll　of　tribute；　ransom　and　indemnity；　we　see　the　same
natural　instinct　of　the　hunter　and　fighter。　　In　his　hands　the　government
is　a　thing　to　sap　and　wreck；　to　live　on。　　It　is　his　essential　impulse　to
want　something　very　much；　to　struggle　and　fight　for　it；　to　take　all　he
can　get。

Set　against　this　the　giving　love　that　comes　with　motherhood；　the　endless
service　that　comes　of　motherhood；　the　peaceful　administration　in　the
interest　of　the　family　that　comes　of　motherhood。　　We　prate　much　of　the
family　as　the　unit　of　the　state。　　If　it　iswhy　not　run　the　state　on
that　basis？　　Government　by　women；　so　far　as　it　is　influenced　by　their
sex；　would　be　influenced　by　motherhood；　and　that　would　mean　care；
nurture；　provision；　education。　　We　have　to　go　far　down　the　scale　for　any
instance　of　organized　motherhood；　but　we　do　find　it　in　the　hymenoptera；
in　the　overflowing　industry；　prosperity；　peace　and　loving　service　of　the
ant…hill　and　bee…hive。　　These　are　the　most　highly　socialized　types　of
life；　next　to　ours；　and　they　are　feminine　types。

We　as　human　beings　have　a　far　higher　form　of　association；　with　further
issues　than　mere　wealth　and　propagation　of　the　species。　　In　this　human
process　we　should　never　forget　that　men　are　far　more　advanced　than
women；　at　present。　　Because　of　their　humanness　has　come　all　the　noble
growth　of　civilization；　in　spite　of　their　maleness。

As　human　beings　both　male　and　female　stand　alike　useful　and　honorable；
and　should　in　our　government　be　alike　used　and　honored；　but　as　creatures
of　sex；　the　female　is　fitter　than　the　male　for　administration　of
constructive　social　interests。　　The　change　in　governmental　processes
which　marks　our　times　is　a　change　in　principle。　　Two　great　movements
convulse　the　world　to…day；　the　woman's　movement　and　the　labor　movement。　
Each　regards　the　other　as　of　less　moment　than　itself。　　Both　are　parts　of
the　same　world…process。

We　are　entering　upon　a　period　of　social　consciousness。　　Whereas　so　far
almost　all　of　us　have　seen　life　only　as　individuals；　and　have　regarded
the　growing　strength　and　riches　of　the　social　body　as　merely　so　much　the
more　to　fatten　on；　now　we　are　beginning　to　take　an　intelligent　interest
in　our　social　nature；　to　understand　it　a　little；　and　to　begin　to　feel
the　vast　increase　of　happiness　and　power　that　comes　of　real　Human　Life。

In　this　change　of　systems　a　government　which　consisted　only　of
prohibition　and　commands；　of　tax　collecting　and　making　war；　is　rapidly
giving　way　to　a　system　which　intelligently　manages　our　common　interests；
which　is　a　growing　and　improving　method　of　universal　service。　　Here　the
socialist　is　perfectly　right　in　his　vision　of　the　economic　welfare　to　be
assured　by　the　socialization　of　industry；　though　that　is　but　part　of　the
new　development；　and　the　individualist　who　opposes　socialism；　crying
loudly　for　the　advantage　of　〃free　competition〃　is　but　voicing　the　spirit
of　the　predacious　male。

So　with　the　opposers　to　the　suffrage　of　women。　　They　represent；　whether
men　or　women；　the　male　viewpoint。　　They　see　the　woman　only　as　a　female；
utterly　absorbed　in　feminine　functions；　belittled　and　ignored　as　her
long　tutelage　has　made　her；　and　they　see　the　man　as　he　sees　himself；　the
sole　master　of　human　affairs　for　as　long　as　we　have　historic　record。

This；　fortunately；　is　not　long。　　We　can　now　see　back　of　the　period　of
his　supremacy；　and　are　beginning　to　see　beyond　it。　　We　are　well　under
way　already　in　a　higher　stage　of　social　development；　conscious；
well…organized；　wisely　managed；　in　which　the　laws　shall　be　simple　and
founded　on　constructive　principles　instead　of　being　a　set　of
ring…regulations　within　which　people　may　fight　as　they　will；　and　in
which　the　government　shall　be　recognized　in　its　full　use；　not　only　the
sternly　dominant　father；　and　the　wisely　servicable　mother；　but　the　real
union　of　all　people　to　sanely　and　economically　manage　their　affairs。



OUR　ANDROCENTRIC　CULTURE；　or；　THE　MAN…MADE　WORLD


XI。

CRIME　AND　PUNISHMENT。


The　human　concept　of　Sin　has　had　its　uses　no　doubt；　and　our　special
invention　of　a　thing　called　Punishment　has　also　served　a　purpose。

Social　evolution　has　worked　in　many　ways　wastefully；　and　with
unnecessary　pain；　but　it　compares　very　favorably　with　natural　evolution。

As　we　grow　wiser；　as　our　so