our androcentric culture-第33章

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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；　with　no　better　purpose　than　to
〃improve　their　minds；〃　have　grown　and　spread；　combined　and　federated；
and　in　their　great　reports；　representing　hundreds　of　thousands　of
womenwe　find　a　splendid　record　of　human　work。　　They　strive　always　to
improve　something；　to　take　care　of　something；　to　help　and　serve　and
benefit。　　In　〃village　improvement；〃　in　traveling　libraries；　in　lecture
courses　and　exhibitions；　in　promoting　good　legislation；　in　many　a　line
of　noble　effort　our　Women's　Clubs　show　what　women　want　to　do。

Men　do　not　have　to　do　these　things　through　their　clubs；　which　are　mainly
for　pleasure；　they　can　accomplish　what　they　wish　to　through　regular
channels。　　But　the　character　and　direction　of　the　influence　of　women　in
human　affairs　is　conclusively　established　by　the　things　they　already　do
and　try　to　do。　　In　those　countries；　and　in　our　own　states；　where　they
are　already　full　citizens；　the　legislation　introduced　and　promoted　by
them　is　of　the　same　beneficent　character。　　The　normal　woman　is　a　strong
creature；　loving　and　serviceable。　　The　kind　of　woman　men　are　afraid　to
entrust　with　political　power；　selfish；　idle；　over…sexed；　or　ignorant　and
narrow…minded；　is　not　normal；　but　is　the　creature　of　conditions　men　have
made。　　We　need　have　no　fear　of　her；　for　she　will　disappear　with　the
conditions　which　created　her。

In　older　days；　without　knowledge　of　the　natural　sciences；　we　accepted
life　as　static。　　If；　being　born　in　China；　we　grew　up　with　foot…bound
women；　we　assumed　that　women　were　such；　and　must　so　remain。　　Born　in
India；　we　accepted　the　child…wife；　the　pitiful　child…widow；　the　ecstatic
_suttee_；　as　natural　expressions　of　womanhood。　　In　each　age；　each
country；　we　have　assumed　life　to　be　necessarily　what　it　wasa　moveless
fact。

All　this　is　giving　way　fast　in　our　new　knowledge　of　the　laws　of　life。　
We　find　that　Growth　is　the　eternal　law；　and　that　even　rocks　are　slowly
changing。　　Human　life　is　seen　to　be　as　dynamic　as　any　other　form；　and
the　most　certain　thing　about　it　is　that　it　will　change。　　In　the　light　of
this　knowledge　we　need　no　longer　accept　the　load　of　what　we　call　〃sin；〃
the　grouped　misery　of　poverty；　disease　and　crime；　the　cumbrous；
inefficatious；　wasteful　processes　of　life　today；　as　needful　or
permanent。

We　have　but　to　learn　the　_real_　elements　in　humanity；　its　true　powers
and　natural　characteristics；　to　see　wherein　we　are　hampered　by　the　wrong
ideas　and　inherited　habits　of　earlier　generations；　and　break　loose　from
themthen　we　can　safely　and　swiftly　introduce　a　far　nobler　grade　of
living。

Of　all　crippling　hindrances　in　false　ideas；　we　have　none　more
universally　mischievous　than　this　root　error　about　men　and　women。　　Given
the　old　androcentric　theory；　and　we　have　an　androcentric　culturethe
kind　we　so　far　know；　this　short　stretch　we　call　〃history；〃　with　its
proud　and　pitiful　record。　　We　have　done　wonders　of　upward　growthfor
growth　is　the　main　law；　and　may　not　be　wholly　resisted。　　But　we　have
hindered；　perverted；　temporarily　checked　that　growth；　age　after　age