our androcentric culture-第31章

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Always　the　antagonist；　to　the　male　mind　an　antagonist　is　essential　to
progress；　to　all　achievement。　　He　has　planted　that　root…thought　in　all
the　human　world；　from　that　old　hideous　idea　of　Satan；　〃The　Adversary；〃
down　to　the　competitor　in　business；　or　the　boy　at　the　head　of　the　class；
to　be　superseded　by　another。

Therefore；　even　in　science；　〃the　struggle　for　existence〃　is　the　dominant
lawto　the　male　mind；　with　the　〃survival　of　the　fittest〃　and　〃the
elimination　of　the　unfit。〃

Therefore　in　industry　and　economics　we　find　always　and　everywhere　the
antagonist；　the　necessity　for　somebody　or　something　to　be　overcomeelse
why　make　an　effort？　　If　you　have　not　the　incentive　of　reward；　or　the
incentive　of　combat；　why　work？　　〃Competition　is　the　life　of　trade。〃

Thus　the　Economic　Man。

But　how　about　the　Economic　Woman？

To　the　androcentric　mind　she　does　not　exist。　　Women　are　females；　and
that's　all；　their　working　abilities　are　limited　to　personal　service。

That　it　would　be　possible　to　develop　industry　to　far　greater　heights；
and　to　find　in　social　economics　a　simple　and　beneficial　process　for　the
promotion　of　human　life　and　prosperity；　under　any　other　impulse　than
these　two；　Desire　and　Combat；　is　hard　indeed　to　recognizefor　the　〃male
mind。〃

So　absolutely　interwoven　are　our　existing　concepts　of　maleness　and
humanness；　so　sure　are　we　that　men　are　people　and　women　only　females；
that　the　claim　of　equal　weight　and　dignity　in　human　affairs　of　the
feminine　instincts　and　methods　is　scouted　as　absurd。　　We　find　existing
industry　almost　wholly　in　male　hands；　find　it　done　as　men　do　it；　assume
that　that　is　the　way　it　must　be　done。

When　women　suggest　that　it　could　be　done　differently；　their　proposal　is
waved　asidethey　are　〃only　women〃their　ideas　are　〃womanish。〃

Agreed。　　So　are　men　〃only　men；〃　their　ideas　are　〃mannish〃；　and　of　the
two　the　women　are　more　vitally　human　than　the　men。

The　female　is　the　race…typethe　man　the　variant。

The　female；　as　a　race…type；　having　the　female　processes　besides；　best
performs　the　race　processes。　　The　male；　however；　has　with　great
difficulty　developed　them；　always　heavily　handicapped　by　his　maleness；
being　in　origin　essentially　a　creature　of　sex；　and　so　dominated　almost
exclusively　by　sex　impulses。

The　human　instinct　of　mutual　service　is　checked　by　the　masculine
instinct　of　combat；　the　human　tendency　to　specialize　in　labor；　to
rejoicingly　pour　force　in　lines　of　specialized　expression；　is　checked　by
the　predacious　instinct；　which　will　exert　itself　for　reward；　and
disfigured　by　the　masculine　instinct　of　self…expression；　which　is　an
entirely　different　thing　from　the　great　human　outpouring　of　world　force。

Great　men；　the　world's　teachers　and　leaders；　are　great　in　humanness；
mere　maleness　does　not　make　for　greatness　unless　it　be　in　warfarea
disadvantageous　glory！　　Great　women　also　must　be　great　in　humanness；　but
their　female　instincts　are　not　so　subversive　of　human　progress　as　are
the　instincts　of　the　male。　　To　be　a　teacher　and　leader；　to　love　and
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　s