our androcentric culture-第22章

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wherein　the　average　citizen　knows　nothing　of　the　law；　and　cares　only　to
evade　it　when　he　can；　obey　it　when　he　must。　　In　the　household；　that
stunted；　crippled　rudiment　of　the　matriarchate；　where　alone　we　can　find
what　is　left　of　the　natural　influence　of　woman；　the　laws　and　government；
so　far　as　she　is　responsible　for　them；　are　fairly　simple；　and　bear
visible　relation　to　the　common　good；　which　relation　is　clearly　and
persistently　taught。

In　the　larger　household　of　city　and　state　the　educational　part　of　the
law　is　grievously　neglected。　　It　makes　no　allowance　for　ignorance。　　If　a
man　breaks　a　law　of　which　he　never　heard　he　is　not　excused　therefore；
the　penalty　rolls　on　just　the　same。　　Fancy　a　mother　making　solemn　rules
and　regulations　for　her　family；　telling　the　children　nothing　about　them；
and　then　punishing　them　when　they　disobeyed　the　unknown　laws！

The　use　of　force　is　natural　to　the　male；　while　as　a　human　being　he　must
needs　legislate　somewhat　in　the　interests　of　the　community；　as　a　male
being　he　sees　no　necessity　for　other　enforcement　than　by　penalty。　　To
violently　oppose；　to　fight；　to　trample　to　the　earth；　to　triumph　in　loud
bellowings　of　savage　joy；these　are　the　primitive　male　instincts；　and
the　perfectly　natural　social　instinct　which　leads　to　peaceful
persuasion；　to　education；　to　an　easy　harmony　of　action；　are
contemptuously　ranked　as　〃feminine；〃　or　as　〃philanthropic；〃which　is
almost　as　bad。　　〃Men　need　stronger　measures〃　they　say　proudly。　　Yes；　but
four…fifths　of　the　world　are　women　and　children！

As　a　matter　of　fact　the　woman；　the　mother；　is　the　first　co…ordinator；
legislator；　administrator　and　executive。　　From　the　guarding　and　guidance
of　her　cubs　and　kittens　up　to　the　longer；　larger　management　of　human
youth；　she　is　the　first　to　consider　group　interests　and　co…relate　them。

As　a　father　the　male　grows　to　share　in　these　original　feminine
functions；　and　with　us；　fatherhood　having　become　socialized　while
motherhood　has　not；　he　does　the　best　he　can；　alone；　to　do　the　world's
mother…work　in　his　father　way。

In　study　of　any　long　established　human　custom　it　is　very　difficult　to
see　it　clearly　and　dispassionately。　　Our　minds　are　heavily　loaded　with
precedent；　with　race…custom；　with　the　iron　weight　called　authority。　
These　heavy　forces　reach　their　most　perfect　expression　in　the　absolutely
masculine　field　of　warfare。　　The　absolute　authority；　the　brainless；
voiceless　obedience；　the　relentless　penalty。　　Here　we　have　male　coercion
at　its　height；　law　and　government　wholly　arbitrary。　　The　result　is　as
might　be　expected；　a　fine　machine　of　destruction。　　But　destruction　is
not　a　human　processmerely　a　male　process　of　eliminating　the　unfit。

The　female　process　is　to　select　the　fit；　her　elimination　is　negative　and
painless。

Greater　than　either　is　the　human　process；　to　_develop　fitness。_

Men　are　at　present　far　more　human　than　women。　　Alone　upon　their
self…seized　thrones　they　have　carried　as　best　they　might　the　burdens　of
the　state；　and　the　history　of　law　and　government　shows　them　as　changing
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；　t