our androcentric culture-第28节

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serve；　to　guard　and　guide　and　help；　are　well　in　line　with　motherhood。

〃Are　they　not　also　in　line　with　fatherhood？〃　will　be　asked；　and；　〃Are
not　the　father's　paternal　instincts　masculine？〃

No；　they　are　not；　they　differ　in　no　way　from　the　maternal；　in　so　far　as
they　are　beneficial。　　Parental　functions　of　the　higher　sort；　of　the
human　sort；　are　identical。　　The　father　can　give　his　children　many
advantages　which　the　mother　can　not；　but　that　is　due　to　his　superiority
as　a　human　being。　　He　possesses　far　more　knowledge　and　power　in　the
world；　the　human　world；　he　himself　is　more　developed　in　human　powers　and
processes；　and　is　therefore　able　to　do　much　for　his　children　which　the
mother　can　not；　but　this　is　in　no　way　due　to　his　masculinity。　　It　is　in
this　development　of　human　powers　in　man；　through　fatherhood；　that　we　may
read　the　explanation　of　our　short　period　of　androcentric　culture。

So　thorough　and　complete　a　reversal　of　previous　relation；　such
continuance　of　what　appears　in　every　way　an　unnatural　position；　must
have　had　some　justification　in　racial　advantages；　or　it　could　not　have
endured。　　This　is　its　justification；　the　establishment　of　humanness　in
the　male；　he　being　led　into　it；　along　natural　lines；　by　the　exercise　of
previously　existing　desires。

In　a　male　culture　the　attracting　forces　must　inevitably　have　been；　we
have　seen；　Desire　and　Combat。　　These　masculine　forces；　acting　upon　human
processes；　while　necessary　to　the　uplifting　of　the　man；　have　been
anything　but　uplifting　to　civilization。　　A　sex　which　thinks；　feels　and
acts　in　terms　of　combat　is　difficult　to　harmonize　in　the　smooth　bonds　of
human　relationship；　that　they　have　succeeded　so　well　is　a　beautiful
testimony　to　the　superior　power　of　race　tendency　over　sex　tendency。　
Uniting　and　organizing；　crudely　and　temporarily；　for　the　common　hunt；
and　then；　with　progressive　elaboration；　for　the　common　fight；　they　are
now　using　the　same　tacticsand　the　same　desires；　unfortunatelyin
common　work。

Union；　organization；　complex　interservice；　are　the　essential　processes
of　a　growing　society；　in　them；　in　the　ever…increasing　discharge　of　power
along　widening　lines　of　action；　is　the　joy　and　health　of　social　life。　
But　so　far　men　combine　in　order　to　better　combat；　the　mutual　service
held　incidental　to　the　common　end　of　conquest　and　plunder。

In　spite　of　this　the　overmastering　power　of　humanness　is　now　developing
among　modern　men　immense　organizations　of　a　wholly　beneficial　character；
with　no　purpose　but　mutual　advantage。　　This　is　true　human　growth；　and　as
such　will　inevitably　take　the　place　of　the　sex…prejudiced　earlier
processes。

The　human　character　of　the　Christian　religion　is　now　being　more　and　more
insisted　on；　the　practical　love　and　service　of　each　and　all；　in　place　of
the　old　insistence　on　Desirefor　a　Crown　and　Harp　in　Heaven；　and
Combatwith　that　everlasting　adversary。

In　economics　this　great　change　is　rapidly　going　on　before　our　eyes。　　It
is　a　change　in　idea；　in　basic　concept；　in　our　theory　of　what　the　whole
thing　is　about。　　We　are　beginning　to　see　the　world；　not　as　〃a　fair　field
and　no　favor〃not　a　place　for　one　man　to　get　ahead　of　others；　for　a
price；　but　as　an　establishment　belonging　to　us；　the　proceeds　of　which
are　to　be　applied；　as　a　matter　of　course；　to　human　advantage。

In　the　old　idea；　the　wholly　masculine　idea；　based　on　the　processes　of
sex…combat；　the　advantage　of　the　world　lay　in　having　〃the　best　man　win。〃
　Some；　in　the　first　steps　of　enthusiasm　for　Eugenics；　think　so　still；
imagining　that　the　primal　process　of　promoting　evolution　through　the
paternity　of　the　conquering　male　is　the　best　process。

To　have　one　superior　lion　kill　six　or　sixty　inferior　lions；　and　leave　a
progeny　of　more　superior　lions　behind　him；　is　all　rightfor　lions；　the
superiority　in　fighting　being　all　the　superiority　they　need。

But　the　man　able　to　outwit　his　follows；　to　destroy　them　in　physical；　or
ruin　in　financial；　combat；　is　not　therefore　a　superior　human　creature。　
Even　physical　superiority；　as　a　fighter；　does　not　prove　the　kind　of
vigor　best　calculated　to　resist　disease；　or　to　adapt　itself　to　changing
conditions。

That　our　masculine　culture　in　its　effect　on　Economics　and　Industry　is
injurious；　is　clearly　shown　by　the　whole　open　page　of　history。　　From　the
simple　beneficent　activities　of　a　matriarchal　period　we　follow　the　same
lamentable　steps；　nation　after　nation。　　Women　are　enslaved　and　captives
are　enslaved；　a　military　despotism　is　developed；　labor　is　despised　and
discouraged。　　Then　when　the　irresistible　social　forces　do　bring　us
onward；　in　science；　art；　commerce；　and　all　that　we　call　civilization；　we
find　the　same　check　acting　always　upon　that　progress；　and　the　really
vital　social　processes　of　production　and　distribution　heavily　injured　by
the　financial　combat　and　carnage　which　rages　ever　over　and　among　them。

The　real　development　of　the　people；　the　forming　of　finer　physiques；
finer　minds；　a　higher　level　of　efficiency；　a　broader　range　of　enjoyment
and　accomplishmentis　hindered　and　not　helped　by　this　artificially
maintained　〃struggle　for　existence；〃　this　constant　endeavor　to　eliminate
what；　from　a　masculine　standard；　is　〃unfit。〃

That　we　have　progressed　thus　far；　that　we　are　now　moving　forward　so
rapidly；　is　in　spite　of　and　not　because　of　our　androcentric　culture。



OUR　ANDROCENTRIC　CULTURE；　OR；　THE　MAN…MADE　WORLD


XIV。

A　HUMAN　WORLD。


In　the　change　from　the　dominance　of　one　sex　to　the　equal　power　of　two；
to　what　may　we　look　forward？　　What　effect　upon　civilization　is　to　be
expected　from　the　equality　of　womanhood　in　the　human　race？

To　put　the　most　natural　question　firstwhat　will　men　lose　by　it？　　Many
men　are　genuinely　concerned　about　this；　fearing　some　new　position　of
subservience　and　disrespect。　　Others　laugh　at　the　very　idea　of　change　in
their　position；　relying　as　always　on　the　heavier　fist。　　So　long　as
fighting　was　the　determining　process；　the　best　fighter　must　needs　win；
but　in　the　rearrangement　of　processes　which　marks　our　age；　superior
physical　strength　does　not　make　the　poorer　wealthy；　nor　even　the　soldier
a　general。

The　major　processes　of　life　to…day　are　quite　within　the　powers　of　women；
women　are　fulfilling　their　new　relations　more　and　more　successfully；
gathering　new　strength；　new　knowledge；　new　ideals。　　The　change　is　upon
us；　what　will　it　do　to　men？

No　harm。

As　we　are　a　monogamous　race；　there　will　be　no　such　drastic　and　cruel
selection　among　competing　males　as　would　eliminate　the　vast　majority　as
unfit。　　Even　though　some　be　considered　unfit　for　fatherhood；　all　human
life　remains　open　to　them。　　Perhaps　the　most　important　feature　of　this
change　comes　in　right　here；　along　this　old　line　of　sex…selection；
replacing　that　power　in　the　right　hands；　and　using　it　for　the　good　of
the　race。

The　woman；　free　at　last；　intelligent；　recognizing　her　real　place　and
responsibility　in　life　as　a　human　being；　will　be　not　less；　but　more；
efficient　as　a　mother。　　She　will　understand　that；　in　the　line　of
physical　evolution；　motherhood　is　the　highest　process；　and　that　her
work；　as　a　contribution　to　an　improved　race；　must　always　involve　this
great　function。　　She　will　see　that　right　parentage　is　the　purpose　of　the
whole　scheme　of　sex…relationship；　and　act　accordingly。

In　our　time；　his　human　faculties　being　sufficiently　developed；　civilized
man　can　look　over　and　around　his　sex　limitations；　and　begin　to　see　what
are　the　true　purposes　and　methods　of　human　life。

He　is　now　beginning　to　learn　that　his　own　governing　necessity　of　Desire
is　not　_the_　governing　necessity　of　parentage；　but　only　a　contributory
tendency；　and　that；　in　the　interests　of　better　parentage；　motherhood　is
the　dominant　factor；　and　must　be　so　considered。

In　slow　reluctant　admission　of　this　fact；　man　heretofore　has　recognized
one　class　of　women　as　mothers；　and　has　granted　them　a　varying　amount　of
consideration　as　such；　but　he　has　none　the　less　insisted　on　maintaining
another　class　of　women；　forbidden　motherhood；　and　merely　subservient　to
his　desires；　a　barren；　mischievous　unnatural　relation；　wholly　aside　from
parental　purposes；　and　absolutely　injurious　to　society。　　This　whole
field　of　morbid　action　will　be　eliminated　from　human　life　by　the　normal
development　of　women。

It　is　not　a　question　of　interfering　with　or　punishing　men；　still　less　of
interfering　with　or　punishing　women；　but　purely　a　matter　of　changed
education　and　opportunity　for　every　child。

Each　and　all　shall　be　taught　the　real　nature　and　purpose　of　motherhood；
the　real　nature　and　purpose　of　manhood；　what　each　is　for；　and　which　is
the　more　important。　　A　new　sense　of　the　power　and　pride　of　womanhood
will　waken；　a　womanhood　no　longer　sunk　in　helpless　dependence　upon　men；
no　longer　limited　to　mere　unpaid　house…service；　no　longer　blinded　by　the
false　morality　which　subjects　even　motherhood　to　man's　dominance；　but　a
womanhood　which　will　recognize　its　pre…eminent　responsibility　to　the
human　race；　and　live　up　to　it。　　Then；　with　all　normal　and　right
competition　among　men　for　the　favor　of　women；　those　best　fitted　for
fatherhood　will　be　chosen。　　Those　who　are　not　chosen　will　live
singleperforce。

Many；　under　the　old　mistaken　notion