our androcentric culture-第21节

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unnecessary　pain；　but　it　compares　very　favorably　with　natural　evolution。

As　we　grow　wiser；　as　our　social　consciousness　develops；　we　are　beginning
to　improve　on　nature　in　more　ways　than　one；　a　part　of　the　same　great
process；　but　of　a　more　highly　sublimated　sort。

Nature　shows　a　world　of　varied　and　changing　environment。　　Into　this
comes　Lifeflushing　and　spreading　in　every　direction。　　A　pretty　hard
time　Life　has　of　it。　　In　the　first　place　it　is　dog　eat　dog　in　every
direction；　the　joy　of　the　hunter　and　the　most　unjoyous　fear　of　the
hunted。

But　quite　outside　of　this　essential　danger；　the　environment　waits；　grim
and　unappeasable；　and　continuously　destroys　the　innocent　myriads　who
fail　to　meet　the　one　requirement　of　lifeAdaptation。　　So　we　must　not　be
too　severe　in　self…condemnation　when　we　see　how　foolish；　cruel；　crazily
wasteful；　is　our　attitude　toward　crime　and　punishment。

We　become　socially　conscious　largely　through　pain；　and　as　we　begin　to
see　how　much　of　the　pain　is　wholly　of　our　own　causing　we　are　overcome
with　shame。　　But　the　right　way　for　society　to　face　its　past　is　the　same
as　for　the　individual；　to　see　where　it　was　wrong　and　stop　itbut　to
waste　no　time　and　no　emotion　over　past　misdeeds。

What　is　our　present　state　as　to　crime？　　It　is　pretty　bad。　　Some　say　it
is　worse　than　it　used　to　be；　others　that　it　is　better。　　At　any　rate　it
is　bad　enough；　and　a　disgrace　to　our　civilization。　　We　have　murderers　by
the　thousand　and　thieves　by　the　million；　of　all　kinds　and　sizes；　we　have
what　we　tenderly　call　〃immorality；〃　from　the　〃errors　of　youth〃　to　the
sodden　grossness　of　old　age；　married；　single；　and　mixed。　　We　have　all
the　old　kinds　of　wickedness　and　a　lot　of　new　ones；　until　one　marvels　at
the　purity　and　power　of　human　nature；　that　it　should　carry　so　much
disease　and　still　grow　on　to　higher　things。

Also　we　have　punishment　still　with　us；　private　and　public；　applied　like
a　rabbit's　foot；　with　as　little　regard　to　its　efficacy。　　Does　a　child
offend？　　Punish　it！　　Does　a　woman　offend？　　Punish　her！　　Does　a　man
offend？　　Punish　him！　　Does　a　group　offend？　　Punish　them！

〃What　for？〃　some　one　suddenly　asks。

〃To　make　them　stop　doing　it！〃

〃But　they　have　done　it！〃

〃To　make　them　not　do　it　again；　then。〃

〃But　they　do　do　it　againand　worse。〃

〃To　prevent　other　people's　doing　it；　then。〃

〃But　it　does　not　prevent　themthe　crime　keeps　on。　　What　good　is　your
punishment？〃

What　indeed！

What　is　the　application　of　punishment　to　crime？　　Its　base；　its
prehistoric　base；　is　simple　retaliation；　and　this　is　by　no　means　wholly
male；　let　us　freely　admit。　　The　instinct　of　resistance；　of　opposition；
of　retaliation；　lies　deeper　than　life　itself。　　Its　underlying　law　is　the
law　of　physicsaction　and　reaction　are　equal。　　Life's　expression　of
this　law　is　perfectly　natural；　but　not　always　profitable。　　Hit　your　hand
on　a　stone　wall；　and　the　stone　wall　hits　your　hand。　　Very　good；　you
learn　that　stone　walls　are　hard；　and　govern　yourself　accordingly。

Conscious　young　humanity　observed　and　philosophized；　congratulating
itself　on　its　discernment。　　〃A　man　hits　meI　hit　the　man　a　little
harderthen　he　won't　do　it　again。〃　　Unfortunately　he　did　do　it　againa
little　harder　still。　　The　effort　to　hit　harder　carried　on　the　action　and
reaction　till　society；　hitting　hardest　of　all；　set　up　a　system　of　legal
punishment；　of　unlimited　severity。　　It　imprisoned；　it　mutilated；　it
tortured；　it　killed；　it　destroyed　whole　families；　and　razed　contumelious
cities　to　the　ground。

Therefore　all　crime　ceased；　of　course？　　No？　　But　crime　was　mitigated；
surely！　　Perhaps。　　This　we　have　proven　at　last；　that　crime　does　not
decrease　in　proportion　to　the　severest　punishment。　　Little　by　little　we
have　ceased　to　raze　the　cities；　to　wipe　out　the　families；　to　cut　off　the
ears；　to　torture；　and　our　imprisonment　is　changing　from　slow　death　and
insanity　to　a　form　of　attempted　improvement。

But　punishment　as　a　principle　remains　in　good　standing；　and　is　still　the
main　reliance　where　it　does　the　most　harmin　the　rearing　of　children。　
〃Spare　the　rod　and　spoil　the　child〃　remains　in　belief；　unmodified　by　the
millions　of　children　spoiled　by　the　unspared　rod。

The　breeders　of　racehorses　have　learned　better；　but　not　the　breeders　of
children。　　Our　trouble　is　simply　the　lack　of　intelligence。　　We　face　the
babyish　error　and　the　hideous　crime　in　exactly　the　same　attitude。

〃This　person　has　done　something　offensive。〃

Yes？and　one　waits　eagerly　for　the　first　question　of　the　rational
mindbut　does　not　hear　it。　　One　only　hears　〃Punish　him！〃

What　is　the　first　question　of　the　rational　mind？

〃Why？〃

Human　beings　are　not　first　causes。　　They　do　not　evolve　conduct　out　of
nothing。　　The　child　does　this；　the　man　does　that；　_because_　of
something；　because　of　many　things。　　If　we　do　not　like　the　way　people
behave；　and　wish　them　to　behave　better；　we　should；　if　we　are　rational
beings；　study　the　conditions　that　produce　the　conduct。

The　connection　between　our　archaic　system　of　punishment　and　our
androcentric　culture　is　two…fold。　　The　impulse　of　resistance；　while；　as
we　have　seen；　of　the　deepest　natural　origin；　is　expressed　more　strongly
in　the　male　than　in　the　female。　　The　tendency　to　hit　back　and　hit　harder
has　been　fostered　in　him　by　sex…combat　till　it　has　become　of　great
intensity。　　The　habit　of　authority　too；　as　old　as　our　history；　and　the
cumulative　weight　of　all　the　religions　and　systems　of　law　and
government；　have　furthermore　built　up　and　intensified　the　spirit　of
retaliation　and　vengeance。

They　have　even　deified　this　concept；　in　ancient　religions；　crediting　to
God　the　evil　passions　of　men。　　As　the　small　boy　recited；　〃Vengeance。　　A
mean　desire　to　get　even　with　your　enemies：　'Vengeance　is　mine　saith　the
Lord''I　will　repay。'〃

The　Christian　religion　teaches　better　things；　better　than　its　expositors
and　upholders　have　ever　understoodmuch　less　practised。

The　teaching　of　〃Love　your　enemies；　do　good　unto　them　that　hate　you；　and
serve　them　that　despitefully　use　you　and　persecute　you；〃　has　too　often
resulted；　when　practised　at　all；　in　a　sentimental　negation；　a
pathetically　useless　attitude　of　non…resistance。　　You　might　as　well　base
a　religion　on　a　feather　pillow！

The　advice　given　was　active；　direct；　concrete。　　〃_Love！_〃　　Love　is　not
non…resistance。　　〃Do　good！〃　　Doing　good　is　not　non…resistance。　　〃Serve！〃
　Service　is　not　non…resistance。

Again　we　have　an　overwhelming　proof　of　the　far…reaching　effects　of　our
androcentric　culture。　　Consider　it　once　more。　　Here　is　one　by　nature
combative　and　desirous；　and　not　by　nature　intended　to　monopolize　the
management　of　his　species。　　He　assumes　to　be　not　only　the　leader；　but
the　whole　thingto　be　humanity　itself；　and　to　see　in　woman　as　Grant
Allen　so　clearly　put　it　〃Not　only　not　the　race；　she　is　not　even　half　the
race；　but　a　subspecies；　told　off　for　purposes　of　reproduction　merely。〃

Under　this　monstrous　assumption；　his　sex…attributes　wholly　identified
with　his　human　attributes；　and　overshadowing　them；　he　has　imprinted　on
every　human　institution　the　tastes　and　tendencies　of　the　male。　　As　a
male　he　fought；　as　a　male　human　being　he　fought　more；　and　deified
fighting；　and　in　a　culture　based　on　desire　and　combat；　loud　with
strident　self…expression；　there　could　be　but　slow　acceptance　of　the　more
human　methods　urged　by　Christianity。　　〃It　is　a　religion　for　slaves　and
women！〃　said　the　warrior　of　old。　　（Slaves　and　women　were　largely　the
same　thing。）　　〃It　is　a　religion　for　slaves　and　women〃　says　the　advocate
of　the　Superman。

Well？　　Who　did　the　work　of　all　the　ancient　world？　　Who　raised　the　food
and　garnered　it　and　cooked　it　and　served　it？　　Who　built　the　houses；　the
temples；　the　acqueducts；　the　city　wall？　　Who　made　the　furniture；　the
tools；　the　weapons；　the　utensils；　the　ornamentsmade　them　strong　and
beautiful　and　useful？　　Who　kept　the　human　race　going；　somehow；　in　spite
of　the　constant　hideous　waste　of　war；　and　slowly　built　up　the　real
industrial　civilization　behind　that　gory　show？Why　just　the　slaves　and
the　women。

A　religion　which　had　attractions　for　the　real　human　type　is　not
therefore　to　be　utterly　despised　by　the　male。

In　modern　history　we　may　watch　with　increasing　ease　the　slow；　sure
progress　of　our　growing　humanness　beneath　the　weakening　shell　of　an
all…male　dominance。　　And　in　this　field　of　what　begins　in　the　nurse　as
〃discipline；〃　and　ends　on　the　scaffold　as　〃punishment；〃　we　can　clearly
see　that　blessed　change。

What　is　the　natural；　the　human　attribute？　　What　does　this　〃Love；〃　and
〃Do　good；〃　and　〃Serve〃　mean？　　In　the　blundering　old　church；　still
androcentric；　there　was　a　great　to…do　to　carry　out　this　doctrine；　in
elaborate　symbolism。　　A　set　of　beggars　and　cripples；　gathered　for　the
occasion；　was　exhibited；　and　kings　and　cardinals　went　solemnly　through
the　motions　of　serving　them。　　As　the　English　schoolboy　phrased　it；
〃Thomas　Becket　washed　the　feet　of　leopards。〃

Service　and　love　and　doing　good　must　always　remain　side　issues　in　a　male
world。　　Service　and　love　and　doing　good　are　the　spirit　of　motherhood；
and　the　essense　of　human　life。

Human　life　is　service；　and　is　not　combat。　　There　you　have　the　nature　of
the　change　now　upon　us。

What　has　the　male