our androcentric culture-第29部分

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singleperforce。

Many；　under　the　old　mistaken　notion　of　what　used　to　be　called　the
〃social　necessity〃　of　prostitution；　will　protest　at　the　idea　of　its
extinction。

〃It　is　necessary　to　have　it；〃　they　will　say。

〃Necessary　_to　whom？_〃

Not　to　the　women　hideously　sacrificed　to　it；　surely。

Not　to　society；　honey…combed　with　diseases　due　to　this　cause。

Not　to　the　family；　weakened　and　impoverished　by　it。

To　whom　then？　　To　the　men　who　want　it？

But　it　is　not　good　for　them；　it　promotes　all　manner　of　disease；　of　vice；
of　crime。　　It　is　absolutely　and　unquestionably　a　〃social　evil。〃

An　intelligent　and　powerful　womanhood　will　put　an　end　to　this　indulgence
of　one　sex　at　the　expense　of　the　other；　and　to　the　injury　of　both。

In　this　inevitable　change　will　lie　what　some　men　will　consider　a　loss。　
But　only　those　of　the　present　generation。　　For　the　sons　of　the　women　now
entering　upon　this　new　era　of　world　life　will　be　differently　reared。　
They　will　recognize　the　true　relation　of　men　to　the　primal　process；　and
be　amazed　that　for　so　long　the　greater　values　have　been　lost　sight　of　in
favor　of　the　less。

This　one　change　will　do　more　to　promote　the　physical　health　and　beauty
of　the　race；　to　improve　the　quality　of　children　born；　and　the　general
vigor　and　purity　of　social　life；　than　any　one　measure　which　could　be
proposed。　　It　rests　upon　a　recognition　of　motherhood　as　the　real　base
and　cause　of　the　family；　and　dismisses　to　the　limbo　of　all　outworn
superstition　that　false　Hebraic　and　grossly　androcentric　doctrine　that
the　woman　is　to　be　subject　to　the　man；　and　that　he　shall　rule　over　her。　
He　has　tried　this　arrangement　long　enoughto　the　grievous　injury　of　the
world。　　A　higher　standard　of　happiness　will　result；　equality　and　mutual
respect　between　parents；　pure　love；　undefiled　by　self…interests　on
either　side；　and　a　new　respect　for　Childhood。

With　the　Child；　seen　at　last　to　be　the　governing　purpose　of　this
relation；　with　all　the　best　energies　of　men　and　women　bent　on　raising
the　standard　of　life　for　all　children；　we　shall　have　a　new　status　of
family　life　which　will　be　clean　and　noble；　and　satisfying　to　all　its
members。

The　change　in　all　the　varied　lines　of　human　work　is　beyond　the　powers　of
any　present　day　prophet　to　forecast　with　precision。　　A　new　grade　of
womanhood　we　can　clearly　foresee；　proud；　strong；　serene；　independent；
great　mothers　of　great　women　and　great　men。　　These　will　hold　high
standards　and　draw　men　up　to　them；　by　no　compulsion　save　nature's　law　of
attraction。　　A　clean　and　healthful　world；　enjoying　the　taste　of　life　as
it　never　has　since　racial　babyhood；　with　homes　of　quiet　and
contentthis　we　can　foresee。

Artin　the　extreme　sense　will　perhaps　always　belong　most　to　men。　　It
would　seem　as　if　that　ceaseless　urge　to　expression；　was；　at　least
originally；　most　congenial　to　the　male。　　But　applied　art；　in　every　form；
and　art　used　directly　for　transmission　of　ideas；　such　as　literature；　or
oratory；　appeals　to　women　as　much；　if　not　more；　than　to　men。

We　can　make　no　safe　assumption　as　to　what；　if　any；　distinction　there
will　be　in　the　free　human　work　of　men　and　women；　until　we　have　seen
generation　after　generation　grow　up　under　absolutely　equal　conditions。　
In　all　our　games　and　sports　and　minor　social　customs；　such　changes　will
occur　as　must　needs　follow　upon　the　rising　dignity　alloted　to　the
woman's　temperament；　the　woman's　point　of　view；　not　in　the　least　denying
to　men　the　fullest　exercise　of　their　special　powers　and　preferences；　but
classifying　these　newly；　as　not　humanmerely　male。　　At　present　we　have
pages　or　columns　in　our　papers；　marked　as　〃The　Woman's　Page〃　〃Of
Interest　to　Women；〃　and　similar　delimiting　titles。　　Similarly　we　might
have　distinctly　masculine　matters　so　marked　and　specified；　not　assumed
as　now　to　be　of　general　human　interest。

The　effect　of　the　change　upon　Ethics　and　Religion　is　deep　and　wide。　
With　the　entrance　of　women　upon　full　human　life；　a　new　principle　comes
into　prominence；　the　principle　of　loving　service。　　That　this　is　the
governing　principle　of　Christianity　is　believed　by　many；　but　an
androcentric　interpretation　has　quite　overlooked　it；　and　made；　as　we
have　shown；　the　essential　dogma　of　their　faith　the　desire　of　an　eternal
reward　and　the　combat　with　an　eternal　enemy。

The　feminine　attitude　in　life　is　wholly　different。　　As　a　female　she　has
merely　to　be　herself　and　passively　attract；　neither　to　compete　nor　to
pursue；　as　a　mother　her　whole　process　is　one　of　growth；　first　the
development　of　the　live　child　within　her；　and　the　wonderful　nourishment
from　her　own　body；　and　then　all　the　later　cultivation　to　make　the　child
grow；　all　the　watching；　teaching；　guarding；　feeding。　　In　none　of　this　is
there　either　desire；　combat；　or　self…expression。　　The　feminine　attitude；
as　expressed　in　religion；　makes　of　it　a　patient　practical　fulfillment　of
law；　a　process　of　large　sure　improvements；　a　limitless　comforting　love
and　care。

This　full　assurance　of　love　and　of　power；　this　endless　cheerful　service；
the　broad　provision　for　all　people；　rather　than　the　competitive
selection　of　a　few　〃victors；〃　is　the　natural　presentation　of　religious
truth　from　the　woman's　viewpoint。　　Her　governing　principle　being　growth
and　not　combat；　her　main　tendency　being　to　give　and　not　to　get；　she　more
easily　and　naturally　lives　and　teaches　these　religious　principles。　　It
is　for　this　reason　that　the　broader　gentler　teaching　of　the　Unitarian
and　Universalist　sects　have　appealed　so　especially　to　women；　and　that　so
many　women　preach　in　their　churches。

This　principle　of　growth；　as　applied　and　used　in　general　human　life　will
work　to　far　other　ends　than　those　now　so　painfully　visible。

In　education；　for　instance；　with　neither　reward　nor　punishment　as　spur
or　bait；　with　no　competition　to　rouse　effort　and　animosity；　but　rather
with　the　feeling　of　a　gardener　towards　his　plants；　the　teacher　will
teach　and　the　children　learn；　in　mutual　ease　and　happiness。　　The　law　of
passive　attraction　applies　here；　leading　to　such　ingenuity　in
presentation　as　shall　arouse　the　child's　interest；　and；　in　the　true
spirit　of　promoting　growth；　each　child　will　have　his　best　and　fullest
training；　without　regard　to　who　is　〃ahead〃　of　him；　or　her；　or　who
〃behind。〃

We　do　not　sadly　measure　the　cabbage…stalk　by　the　corn…stalk；　and　praise
the　corn　for　getting　ahead　of　the　cabbagenor　incite　the　cabbage　to
emulate　the　corn。　　We　nourish　both；　to　its　best　growthand　are　the
richer。

That　every　child　on　earth　shall　have　right　conditions　to　make　the　best
growth　possible　to　it；　that　every　citizen；　from　birth　to　death；　shall
have　a　chance　to　learn　all　he　or　she　can　assimilate；　to　develop　every
power　that　is　in　themfor　the　common　goodthis　will　be　the　aim　of
education；　under　human　management。

In　the　world　of　〃society〃　we　may　look　for　very　radical　changes。

With　all　women　full　human　beings；　trained　and　useful　in　some　form　of
work；　the　class　of　busy　idlers；　who　run　about　forever　〃entertaining〃　and
being　〃entertained〃　will　disappear　as　utterly　as　will　the　prostitute。　
No　woman　with　real　work　to　do　could　have　the　time　for　such　petty
amusements；　or　enjoy　them　if　she　did　have　time。　　No　woman　with　real　work
to　do；　work　she　loved　and　was　well　fitted　for；　work　honored　and
well…paid；　would　take　up　the　Unnatural　Trade。　　Genuine　relaxation　and
recreation；　all　manner　of　healthful　sports　and　pastimes；　beloved　of　both
sexes　to…day；　will　remain；　of　course；　but　the　set　structure　of　〃social
functions〃so　laughably　misnamedwill　disappear　with　the　〃society
women〃　who　make　it　possible。　　Once　active　members　of　real　Society；　no
woman　could　go　back　to　〃society；〃　any　more　than　a　roughrider　could
return　to　a　hobbyhorse。

New　development　in　dress；　wise；　comfortable；　beautiful；　may　be
confidently　expected；　as　woman　becomes　more　human。　　No　fully　human
creature　could　hold　up　its　head　under　the　absurdities　our　women　wear
to…dayand　have　worn　for　dreary　centuries。

So　on　through　all　the　aspects　of　life　we　may　look　for　changes；　rapid　and
far…reaching；　but　natural　and　all　for　good。　　The　improvement　is　not　due
to　any　inherent　moral　superiority　of　women；　nor　to　any　moral　inferiority
of　men；　men　at　present；　as　more　human；　are　ahead　of　women　in　all
distinctly　human　ways；　yet　their　maleness；　as　we　have　shown　repeatedly；
warps　and　disfigures　their　humanness。　　The　woman；　being　by　nature　the
race…type；　and　her　feminine　functions　being　far　more　akin　to　human
functions　than　are　those　essential　to　the　male；　will　bring　into　human
life　a　more　normal　influence。

Under　this　more　normal　influence　our　present　perversities　of　functions
will；　of　course；　tend　to　disappear。　　The　directly　serviceable　tendency
of　women；　as　shown　in　every　step　of　their　public　work；　will　have　small
patience　with　hoary　traditions　of　absurdity。　　We　need　but　look　at　long
recorded　facts　to　see　what　women　door　try　to　do；　when　they　have
opportunity。　　Even　in　their　crippled；　smothered　past；　they　have　made
valiant　effortsnot　always　wisein　charity　and　philanthropy。

In　our　own　time　this　is　shown　through　all　the　length　and　breadth　of　our
country；　by　the　Woman's　Clubs。　　Little　groups　of　women；　drawing　together
in　human　relation；　at　first；　perhaps