our androcentric culture-第16章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


to　their　feminine　functions；　he　has　required　of　them　only　what　he　called
feminine　virtues；　and　the　one　virtue　he　has　demanded；　to　the　complete
overshadowing　of　all　others；　is　measured　by　wholly　masculine
requirements。

ln　the　interests　of　health　and　happiness；　monogamous　marriage　proves　its
superiority　in　our　race　as　it　has　in　others。　　It　is　essential　to　the
best　growth　of　humanity　that　we　practice　the　virtue　of　chastity；　it　is　a
human　virtue；　not　a　feminine　one。　　But　in　masculine　hands　this　virtue
was　enforced　upon　women　under　penalties　of　hideous　cruelty；　and　quite
ignored　by　men。　　Masculine　ethics；　colored　by　masculine　instincts；
always　dominated　by　sex；　has　at　once　recognized　the　value　of　chastity　in
the　woman；　which　is　right；　punished　its　absence　unfairly；　which　is
wrong；　and　then　reversed　the　whole　matter　when　applied　to　men；　which　is
ridiculous。

Ethical　laws　are　lawsnot　idle　notions。　　Chastity　is　a　virtue　because
it　promotes　human　welfarenot　because　men　happen　to　prize　it　in　women
and　ignore　it　themselves。　　The　underlying　reason　for　the　whole　thing　is
the　benefit　of　the　child；　and　to　that　end　a　pure　and　noble　fatherhood　is
requisite；　as　well　as　such　a　motherhood。　　Under　the　limitations　of　a　too
masculine　ethics；　we　have　developed　on　this　one　line　social　conditions
which　would　be　absurdly　funny　if　they　were　not　so　horrible。

Religion；　be　it　noticed；　does　not　bear　out　this　attitude。　　The　immense
human　need　of　religion；　the　noble　human　character　of　the　great　religious
teachers；　has　always　set　its　standards；　when　first　established；　ahead　of
human　conduct。

Some　there　are；　men　of　learning　and　authority；　who　hold　that　the
deadening　immobility　of　our　religions；　their　resistance　to　progress　and
relentless　preservation　of　primitive　ideals；　is　due　to　the　conservatism
of　women。　　Men；　they　say；　are　progressive　by　nature；　women　are
conservative。　　Women　are　more　religious　than　men；　and　so　preserve　old
religious　forms　unchanged　after　men　have　outgrown　them。

If　we　saw　women　in　absolute　freedom；　with　a　separate　religion　devised　by
women；　practiced　by　women；　and　remaining　unchanged　through　the
centuries；　while　men；　on　the　other　hand；　bounded　bravely　forward；　making
new　ones　as　fast　as　they　were　needed；　this　belief　might　be　maintained。　
But　what　do　we　see？　　All　the　old　religions　made　by　men；　and　forced　on
the　women　whether　they　liked　it　or　not。　　Often　women　not　even　considered
as　part　of　the　schemedenied　soulsgiven　a　much　lower　place　in　the
systemgoing　from　the　service　of　their　father's　gods　to　the　service　of
their　husbandshaving　none　of　their　own。　　We　see　religions　which　make
practically　no　place　for　women；　as　with　the　Moslem；　as　rigidly　bigoted
and　unchanging　as　any　other。

We　see　also　this：　that　the　wider　and　deeper　the　religion；　the　more
human；　the　more　it　calls　for　practical　applications　in　Christianitythe
more　it　appeals　to　women。　　Further；　in　the　diverging　sects　of　the
Christian　religion；　we　find　that　its　progressiveness　is　to　be　measured；
not　by　the　numbers　of　its　women　adherents；　but　by　their　relative
freedom。　　The　women　of　America；　who　belong　to　a　thousand　sects；　who
follow　new　ones　with　avidity；　who　even　make　them；　and　who　also　leave
them　all　as　men　do；　are　women；　as　well　as　those　of　Spain；　who　remain
contented　Romanists；　but　in　America　the　status　of　women　is　higher。

The　fact　is　this：　a　servile　womanhood　is　in　a　state　of　arrested
development；　and　as　such　does　form　a　ground　for　the　retention　of　ancient
ideas。　　But　this　is　due　to　the　condition　of　servility；　not　to　womanhood。
　That　women　at　present　are　the　bulwark　of　the　older　forms　of　our
religions　is　due　to　the　action　of　two　classes　of　men：　the　men　of　the
world；　who　keep　women　in　their　restricted　position；　and　the　men　of　the
church；　who　take　every　advantage　of　the　limitations　of　women。　　When　we
have　for　the　first　time　in　history　a　really　civilized　womanhood；　we　can
then　judge　better　of　its　effect　on　religion。

Meanwhile；　we　can　see　quite　clearly　the　effect　of　manhood。　　Keeping　in
mind　those　basic　masculine　impulsesdesire　and　combatwe　see　them
reflected　from　high　heaven　in　their　religious　concepts。　　Reward！　
Something　to　want　tremendously　and　struggle　to　achieve！　　This　is　a
concept　perfectly　masculine　and　most　imperfectly　religious。　　A　religion
is　partly　explanationa　theory　of　life；　it　is　partly　emotionan
attitude　of　mind；　it　is　partly　actiona　system　of　morals。　　Man's
special　effect　on　this　large　field　of　human　development　is　clear。　　He
pictured　his　early　gods　as　like　to　himself；　and　they　behaved　in
accordance　with　his　ideals。　　In　the　dimmest；　oldest　religions；　nearest
the　matriarchate；　we　find　great　goddessestypes　of　Motherhood；
Mother…love；　Mother…care　and　Service。　　But　under　masculine　dominance；
Isis　and　Ashteroth　dwindle　away　to　an　alluring　Aphroditenot　Womanhood
for　the　child　and　the　Worldbut　the　incarnation　of　female
attractiveness　for　man。

As　the　idea　of　heaven　developed　in　the　man's　mind　it　became　the　Happy
Hunting　Ground　of　the　savage；　the　beery　and　gory　Valhalla　of　the
Norseman；　the　voluptuous；　many…houri…ed　Paradise　of　the　Mohammedan。　
These　are　men's　heavens　all。　　Women　have　never　been　so　fond　of　hunting；
beer　or　blood；　and　their　houris　would　be　of　the　other　kind。　　It　may　be
said　that　the　early　Christian　idea　of　heaven　is　by　no　means　planned　for
men。　　That　is　trite；　and　is　perhaps　the　reason　why　it　has　never　had　so
compelling　an　attraction　for　them。

Very　early　in　his　vague　efforts　towards　religious　expression；　man　voiced
his　second　strongest　instinctthat　of　combat。　　His　universe　is　always
dual；　always　a　scene　of　combat。　　Born　with　that　impulse；　exercising　it
continually；　he　naturally　assumed　it　to　be　the　major　process　in　life。　
It　is　not。　　Growth　is　the　major　process。　　Combat　is　a　useful　subsidiary
process；　chiefly　valuable　for　its　initial　use；　to　transmit　the　physical
superiority　of　the　victor。　　Psychic　and　social　advantages　are　not　thus
secured　or　transmitted。

In　no　one　particular　is　the　androcentric　character　of　our　common　thought
more　clearly　shown　than　in　the　general　deification　of　what　are　now
described　as　〃conflict　stimuli。〃　　That　which　is　true　of　the　male
creature　as　such　is　assumed　to　be　true　of　life　in　general；　quite
naturally；　but　by　no　means　correctly。　　To　this　universal　masculine　error
we　may　trace　in　the　field　of　religion　and　ethics　the　great　devil　theory；
which　has　for　so　long　obscured　our　minds。　　A　God　without　an　Adversary
was　inconceivable　to　the　masculine　mind。　　From　this　basic　misconception
we　find　all　our　ideas　of　ethics　distorted；　that　which　should　have　been
treated　as　a　group　of　truths　to　be　learned　and　habits　to　be　cultivated
was　treated　in　terms　of　combat；　and　moral　growth　made　an　everlasting
battle。　　This　combat　theory　we　may　follow　later　into　our　common　notions
of　discipline；　government；　law　and　punishment；　here　is　it　enough　to　see
its　painful　effects　in　this　primary　field　of　ethics　and　religion？

The　third　essential　male　trait　of　self…expression　we　may　follow　from　its
innocent　natural　form　in　strutting　cock　or　stamping　stag　up　to　the
characteristics　we　label　vanity　and　pride。　　The　degradation　of　women　in
forcing　them　to　adopt　masculine　methods　of　personal　decoration　as　a
means　of　livelihood；　has　carried　with　the　concomitant　of　personal
vanity：　but　to　this　day　and　at　their　worst　we　do　not　find　in　women　the
_naive_　exultant　glow　of　pride　which　swells　the　bosom　of　the　men　who
march　in　procession　with　brass　bands；　in　full　regalia　of　any　sort；　so
that　it　be　gorgeous；　exhibiting　their　glories　to　all。

It　is　this　purely　masculine　spirit　which　has　given　to　our　early　concepts
of　Deity　the　unadmirable　qualities　of　boundless　pride　and　a　thirst　for
constant　praise　and　prostrate　admiration；　characteristics　certainly
unbefitting　any　noble　idea　of　God。　　Desire；　combat　and　self…expression
all　have　had　their　unavoidable　influence　on　masculine　religions。　　What
deified　Maternity　a　purely　feminine　culture　might　have　put　forth　we　do
not　know；　having　had　none　such。　　Women　are　generally　credited　with　as
much　moral　sense　as　men；　and　as　much　religious　instinct；　but　so　far　it
has　had　small　power　to　modify　our　prevailing　creeds。

As　a