our androcentric culture-第6章

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Then　we　allege　poverty　as　covering　all。　　Poverty　does　cover　a　good　deal。
　But　when　we　find　even　a　half…fed　savage　better　developed　than　a　well
paid　cashier；　and　a　poor　peasant　woman　a　more　vigorous　mother　than　the
idle　wife　of　a　rich　man；　poverty　is　not　enough。

Then　we　say　ignorance　explains　it。　　But　there　are　most　learned
professors　who　are　ugly　and　asthmathic；　there　are　even　doctors　who　can
boast　no　beauty　and　but　moderate　health；　there　are　some　of　the　petted
children　of　the　wealthy；　upon　whom　every　care　is　lavished　from　birth；
and　who　still　are　ill　to　look　at　and　worse　to　marry。

All　these　special　causes　are　admitted；　given　their　due　share　in　lowering
our　standards；　but　there　is　another　far　more　universal　in　its
application　and　its　effects。　　Let　us　look　back　on　our　little　ancestors
the　beasts；　and　see　what　keeps　them　so　true　to　type。

The　type　itself　set　by　that　balance　of　conditions　and　forces　we　call
〃natural　selection。〃　　As　the　environment　changes　they　must　be　adapted　to
it；　if　they　cannot　so　adapt　themselves　they　die。　　Those　who　live　are；　by
living；　proven　capable　of　maintaining　themselves。　　Every　creature　which
has　remained　on　earth；　while　so　many　less　effective　kinds　died　out；
remains　as　a　conqueror。　　The　speed　of　the　deerthe　constant　use　of
speedis　what　keeps　it　alive　and　makes　it　healthy　and　beautiful。　　The
varied　activities　of　the　life　of　a　leopard　are　what　have　developed　the
sinuous　gracile　strength　we　so　admire。　　It　is　what　the　creature　does　for
its　living；　its　daily　life…long　exercise　which　makes　it　what　it　is。

But　there　is　another　great　natural　force　which　works　steadily　to　keep
all　animals　up　to　the　race　standard；　that　is　sexual　selection。　
Throughout　nature　the　male　is　the　variant；　as　we　have　already　noted。　
His　energy　finds　vent　not　only　in　that　profuse　output　of　decorative
appendages　Ward　defines　as　〃masculine　efflorescence〃　but　in　variations
not　decorative；　not　useful　or　desirable　at　all。

The　female；　on　the　other　hand；　varies　much　less；　remaining　nearer　the
race　type；　and　her　function　is　to　select　among　these　varying　males　the
specimens　most　valuable　to　the　race。　　In　the　intense　masculine
competition　the　victor　must　necessarily　be　stronger　than　his　fellows；　he
is　first　proven　equal　to　his　environment　by　having　lived　to　grow　up；
then　more　than　equal　to　his　fellows　by　overcoming　them。　　This　higher
grade　of　selection　also　develops　not　only　the　characteristics　necessary
to　make　a　living；　but　secondary　ones；　often　of　a　purely　aesthetic
nature；　which　make　much　of　what　we　call　beauty。　　Between　the　two；　all
who　live　must　be　up　to　a　certain　grade；　and　those　who　become　parents
must　be　above　it；　a　masterly　arrangement　surely！

Here　is　where；　during　the　period　of　our　human　history；　we　in　our　newborn
consciousness　and　imperfect　knowledge；　have　grieviously　interfered　with
the　laws　of　nature。　　The　ancient　proprietary　family；　treating　the　woman
as　a　slave；　keeping　her　a　prisoner　and　subject　to　the　will　of　her
master；　cut　her　off　at　once　from　the　exercise　of　those　activities　which
alone　develop　and　maintain　the　race　type。

Take　the　one　simple　quality　of　speed。　　We　are　a　creature　built　for
speed；　a　free　swift　graceful　animal；　and　among　savages　this　is　still
seenthe　capacity　for　running；　mile　after　mile；　hour　after　hour。　
Running　is　as　natural　a　gait　for　_genus　homo_　as　for　_genus　cervus。_　
Now　suppose　among　deer；　the　doe　was　prohibited　from　running；　the　stag
continuing　free　on　the　mountain；　the　doe　living　in　caves　and　pens；
unequal　to　any　exercise。　　The　effect　on　the　species　would　be；
inevitably；　to　reduce　its　speed。

In　this　way；　by　keeping　women　to　one　small　range　of　duties；　and　in　most
cases　housebound；　we　have　interfered　with　natural　selection　and　its
resultant　health　and　beauty。　　It　can　easily　be　seen　what　the　effect　on
the　race　would　have　been　if　all　men　had　been　veiled　and　swathed；　hidden
in　harems；　kept　to　the　tent　or　house；　and　confined　to　the　activities　of
a　house…servant。　　Our　stalwart　laborers；　our　proud　soldiers；　our
athletes；　would　never　have　appeared　under　such　circumstances。　　The
confinement　to　the　house　alone；　cutting　women　off　from　sunshine　and　air；
is　by　itself　an　injury；　and　the　range　of　occupation　allowed　them　is　not
such　as　to　develop　a　high　standard　of　either　health　or　beauty。　　Thus　we
have　cut　off　half　the　race　from　the　strengthening　influence　of　natural
selection；　and　so　lowered　our　race…standards　in　large　degree。

This　alone；　however；　would　not　have　hid　such　mischievous　effects　but　for
our　further　blunder　in　completely　reversing　nature's　order　of　sexual
selection。　　It　is　quite　possible　that　even　under　confinement　and
restriction　women　could　have　kept　up　the　race　level；　passably；　through
this　great　function　of　selection；　but　here　is　the　great　fundamental
error　of　the　Androcentric　Culture。　　Assuming　to　be　the　possessor　of
women；　their　owner　and　master；　able　at　will　to　give；　buy　and　sell；　or　do
with　as　he　pleases；　man　became　the　selector。

It　seems　a　simple　change；　and　in　those　early　days；　wholly　ignorant　of
natural　laws；　there　was　no　suspicion　that　any　mischief　would　result。　　In
the　light　of　modern　knowledge；　however；　the　case　is　clear。　　The　woman
was　deprived　of　the　beneficent　action　of　natural　selection；　and　the　man
was　then；　by　his　own　act；　freed　from　the　stern　but　elevating　effect　of
sexual　selection。　　Nothing　was　required　of　the　woman　by　natural
selection　save　such　capacity　as　should　please　her　master；　nothing　was
required　of　the　man　by　sexual　selection　save　power　to　take　by　force；　or
buy；　a　woman。

It　does　not　take　a　very　high　standard　of　feminine　intelligence；
strength；　skill；　health；　or　beauty　to　be　a　houseservant；　or　even　a
housekeeper；　witness　the　average。

It　does　not　take　a　very　high　standard　of　masculine；　intelligence；
strength；　skill；　health　or　beauty　to　maintain　a　woman　in　that
capacitywitness　average。

Here　at　the　very　root　of　our　physiological　process；　at　the　beginning　of
life；　we　have　perverted　the　order　of　nature；　and　are　suffering　the
consequences。

It　has　been　held　by　some　that　man　as　the　selector　has　developed　beauty；
more　beauty　than　we　had　before；　and　we　point　to　the　charms　of　our　women
as　compared　with　those　of　the　squaw。　　The　answer　to　this　is　that　the
squaw　belongs　to　a　decadent　race；　that　she　too　is　subject　to　the　man；
that　the　comparison　to　have　weight　should　be　made　between　our　women　and
the　women　of　the　matriarchatean　obvious　impossibility。　　We　have　not　on
earth　women　in　a　state　of　normal　freedom　and　full　development；　but　we
have　enough　difference　in　their　placing　to　learn　that　human　strength　and
beauty　grows　with　woman's　freedom　and　activity。

The　second　answer　is　that　much　of　what　man　calls　beauty　in　woman　is　not
human　beauty　at　all；　but　gross　overdevelopment　of　certain　points　which
appeal　to　him　as　a　male。　　The　excessive　fatness；　previously　referred　to；
is　a　case　in　point；　that　being　considered　beauty　in　a　woman　which　is　in
reality　an　element　of　weakness；　inefficiency　and　ill…health。　　The
relatively　small　size　of　women；　deliberately　preferred；　steadfastly
chosen；　and　so　built　into　the　race；　is　a　blow　at　real　human　progress　in
every　particular。　　In　our　upward　journey　we　should　and　do　grow　larger；
leaving　far　behind　us　our　dwarfish　progenitors。　　Yet　the　male；　in　his
unnatural　position　as　selector；　preferring　for　reasons　both　practical
and　sentimental；　to　have　〃his　woman〃　smaller　than　himself；　has
deliberately　striven　to　lower　the　standard　of　size　in　the　race。　　We　used
to　read　in　the　novels　of　the　last　generation；　〃He　was　a　magnificent
specimen　of　manhood〃〃Her　golden　head　reached　scarcely　to　his
shoulder〃〃She　was　a　fairy　creaturethe　tiniest　of　her　sex。〃　　Thus　we
have　mated；　and　yet　expected　that　by　some　hocus　pocus　the　boys　would　all
〃take　after　their　father；〃　and　the　girls；　their　mother。　　In　his　efforts
to　improve　the　breed　of　other　animals；　man　has　never　tried　to
deliberately　cross　the　large　and　small　and　expect　to　keep　up　the
standard　of　size。

As　a　male　he　is　appealed　to　by　the　ultra…feminine；　and　has　given　small
thought　to　effects　on　the　race。　　He　was　not　designed　to　do　the
selecting。　　Under　his　fostering　care　we　have　bred　a　race　o