our androcentric culture-第11章

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as　everywhere　else。

Because　men　are　further　developed　in　humanity　than　women　are　as　yet；
they　have　built　and　organized　great　places　of　amusement；　because　they
carried　into　their　humanity　their　unchecked　masculinity；　they　have　made
these　amusements　to　correspond。　　Dramatic　expression；　is　in　its　true
sense；　not　only　a　human　distinction；　but　one　of　our　noblest　arts。　　It　is
allied　with　the　highest　emotions；　is　religious；　educational；　patriotic；
covering　the　whole　range　of　human　feeling。　　Through　it　we　should　be　able
continually　to　express；　in　audible；　visible　forms；　alive　and　moving；
whatever　phase　of　life　we　most　enjoyed　or　wished　to　see。　　There　was　a
time　when　the　drama　led　life；　lifted；　taught；　inspired；　enlightened。　
Now　its　main　function　is　to　amuse。　　Under　the　demand　for　amusement；　it
has　cheapened　and　coarsened；　and　now　the　thousand　vaudevilles　and
picture　shows　give　us　the　broken　fragments　of　a　degraded　art　of　which
our　one　main　demand　is　that　it　shall　make　us　laugh。

There　are　many　causes　at　work　here；　and　while　this　study　seeks　to　show
in　various　fields　one　cause；　it　does　not　claim　that　cause　is　the　only
one。　　Our　economic　conditions　have　enormous　weight　upon　our　amusements；
as　on　all　other　human　phenomena；　but　even　under　economic　pressure　the
reactions　of　men　and　women　are　often　dissimilar。　　Tired　men　and　women
both　need　amusement；　the　relaxation　and　restful　change　of　irresponsible
gayety。　　The　great　majority　of　women；　who　work　longer　hours　than　any
other　class；　need　it　desperately　and　never　get　it。　　Amusement；
entertainment；　recreation；　should　be　open　to　us　all；　enjoyed　by　all。　
This　is　a　human　need；　and　not　a　distinction　of　either　sex。　　Like　most
human　things　it　is　not　only　largely　monopolized　by　men；　but　masculized
throughout。　　Many　forms　of　amusement　are　for　men　only；　more　for　men
mostly；　all　are　for　men　if　they　choose　to　go。

The　entrance　of　women　upon　the　stage；　and　their　increased　attendance　at
theatres　has　somewhat　modified　the　nature　of　the　performance；　even　the
〃refined　vaudeville〃　now　begins　to　show　the　influence　of　women。　　It
would　be　no　great　advantage　to　have　this　department　of　human　life
feminized；　the　improvement　desired　is　to　have　it　less　masculized；　to
reduce　the　excessive　influence　of　one；　and　to　bring　out　those　broad
human　interests　and　pleasures　which　men　and　women　can　equally
participate　in　and　enjoy。



OUR　ANDROCENTRIC　CULTURE；　or；　THE　MAN…MADE　WORLD


VII。

ETHICS　AND　RELIGION。


The　laws　of　physics　were　at　work　before　we　were　on　earth；　and　continued
to　work　on　us　long　before　we　had　intelligence　enough　to　perceive；　much
less　understand；　them。　　Our　proven　knowledge　of　these　processes
constitutes　〃the　science　of　physics〃；　but　the　laws　were　there　before　the
science。

Physics　is　the　science　of　material　relation；　how　things　and　natural
forces　work　with　and　on　one　another。　　Ethics　is　the　science　of　social
relation；　how　persons　and　social　forces　work　with　and　on　one　another。

Ethics　is　to　the　human　world　what　physics　is　to　the　material　world；
ignorance　of　ethics　leaves　us　in　the　same　helpless　position　in　regard　to
one　another　that　ignorance　of　physics　left　us　in　regard　to　earth；　air；
fire　and　water。

To　be　sure；　people　lived　and　died　and　gradually　improved；　while　yet
ignorant　of　the　physical　sciences；　they　developed　a　rough　〃rule　of
thumb〃　method；　as　animals　do；　and　used　great　forces　without
understanding　them。　　But　their　lives　were　safer　and　their　improvement
more　rapid　as　they　learned　more；　and　began　to　make　servants　of　the
forces　which　had　been　their　masters。

We　have　progressed；　lamely　enough；　with　terrible　loss　and　suffering；
from　stark　savagery　to　our　present　degree　of　civilization；　we　shall　go
on　more　safely　and　swiftly　when　we　learn　more　of　the　science　of　ethics。

Let　us　note　first　that　while　the　underlying　laws　of　ethics　remain　steady
and　reliable；　human　notions　of　them　have　varied　widely　and　still　do　so。　
In　different　races；　ages；　classes；　sexes；　different　views　of　ethics
obtain；　the　conduct　of　the　people　is　modified　by　their　views；　and　their
prosperity　is　modified　by　their　conduct。

Primitive　man　became　very　soon　aware　that　conduct　was　of　importance。　　As
consciousness　increased；　with　the　power　to　modify　action　from　within；
instead　of　helplessly　reacting　to　stimuli　from　without；　there　arose　the
crude　first　codes　of　ethics；　the　〃Thou　shalt〃　and　〃Thou　shalt　not〃　of
the　blundering　savage。　　It　was　mostly　〃Thou　shalt　not。〃　　Inhibition；　the
checking　of　an　impulse　proven　disadvantageous；　was　an　earlier　and　easier
form　of　action　than　the　later　human　power　to　consciously　decide　on　and
follow　a　course　of　action　with　no　stimulus　but　one's　own　will。

Primitive　ethics　consists　mostly　of　Tabusthe　things　that　are
forbidden；　and　all　our　dim　notions　of　ethics　to　this　day；　as　well　as
most　of　our　religions；　deal　mainly　with　forbidding。

This　is　almost　the　whole　of　our　nursery　government；　to　an　extent　shown
by　the　well…worn　tale　of　the　child　who　said　her　name　was　〃Mary。〃　　〃Mary
what？〃　they　asked　her。　　And　she　answered；　〃Mary　Don't。〃　　It　is　also　the
main　body　of　our　legal　systemsa　complex　mass　of　prohibitions　and
preventions。　　And　even　in　manners　and　conventions；　the　things　one　should
not　do　far　outnumber　the　things　one　should。　　A　general　policy　of
negation　colors　our　conceptions　of　ethics　and　religion。

When　the　positive　side　began　to　be　developed；　it　was　at　first　in　purely
arbitrary　and　artificial　form。　　The　followers　of　a　given　religion　were
required　to　go　through　certain　motions；　as　prostrating　themselves；
kneeling；　and　the　like；　they　were　required　to　bring　tribute　to　the　gods
and　their　priests；　sacrifices；　tithes；　oblations；　they　were　set　little
special　performances　to　go　through　at　given　times；　the　range　of　things
forbidden　was　broad；　the　range　of　things　commanded　was　narrow。　　The
Christian　religion；　practically　interpreted；　requires　a　fuller　〃change
of　heart〃　and　change　of　life　than　any　preceding　it；　which　may　account　at
once　for　its　wide　appeal　to　enlightened　peoples；　and　to　its　scarcity　of
application。

Again；　in　surveying　the　field；　it　is　seen　that　as　our　grasp　of　ethical
values　widened；　as　we　called　more　and　more　acts　and　tendencies　〃right〃
and　〃wrong；〃　we　have　shown　astonishing　fluctuations　and　vagaries　in　our
judgment。　　Not　only　in　our　religions；　which　have　necessarily　upheld　each
its　own　set　of　prescribed　actions　as　most　〃right；〃　and　its　own　special
prohibitions　as　most　〃wrong〃；　but　in　our　beliefs　about　ethics　and　our
real　conduct；　we　have　varied　absurdly。

Take；　for　instance；　the　ethical　concept　among　〃gentlemen〃　a　century　or
so　since；　which　put　the　paying　of　one's　gambling　debts　as　a　well…nigh
sacred　duty；　and　the　paying　of　a　tradesman　who　had　fed　and　clothed　one
as　a　quite　negligible　matter。　　If　the　process　of　gambling　was　of　social
service；　and　the　furnishing　of　food　and　clothes　was　not；　this　might　be
good　ethics；　but　as　the　contrary　is　true；　we　have　to　account　for　this
peculiar　view　on　other　grounds。

Again；　where　in　Japan　a　girl；　to　maintain　her　parents；　is　justified　in
leading　a　life　of　shame；　we　have　a　peculiar　ethical　standard　difficult
for　Western　minds　to　appreciate。　　Yet　in　such　an　instance　as　is
described　in　〃Auld　Robin　Gray；〃　we　see　precisely　the　same　code；　the
girl；　to　benefit　her　parents；　marries　a　rich　old　man　she　does　not
lovewhich　is　to　lead　a　life　of　shame。　　The　ethical　view　which
justifies　this；　puts　the　benefit　of　parents　above　the　benefit　of
children；　robs　the　daughter　of　happiness　and　motherhood；　injures
posterity　to　assist　ancestors。

This　is　one　of　the　products　of　that　very　early　religion；　ancestor
worship；　and　here　we　lay　a　finger　on　a　distinctly　masculine　influence。

We　know　little　of　ethical　values　during　the　matriarchate；　whatever　they
were；　they　must　have　depended　for　sanction　on　a　cult　of　promiscuous　but
efficient　maternity。　　Our　recorded　history　begins　in　the　patriarchal
period；　and　it　is　its　ethics　alone　which　we　know。

The　mother　instinct；　throughout　nature；　is　one　of　unmixed　devotion；　of
love　and　service；　care　and　defence；　with　no　self…interest。　　The　animal
father；　in　such　cases　as　he　is　of　service　to　the　young；　assists　the
mother　in　her　work　in　similar　fashion。　　But　the　human　father　in　the
family　with　the　male　head　soon　made　that　family　an　instrument　of　desire；
and　combat；　and　self…expression；　following　the　essentially　masculine
impulses。　　The　children　were　his；　and　if　males；　valuable　to　serve　and
glorify　him。　　In　his　dominance　over　servile　women　and　helpless　children；
free　rein　was　given　to　the　growth　of　pride　and　the　exercise　of
irresponsible　tyranny。　　To　these　feelings；　developed　without　check　for
thousands　of　years；　and　to　the　mental　habits　resultant；　it　is　easy　to
trace　much　of　the　bias　of　our　early　ethical　concepts。

Perhaps　it　is　worth　while　to　repeat　here　that　the　effort　of　this　book　is
by　no　means　to　attribute　a　wholly　evil　influence　to　men；　and　a　wholly
good　one　to　women；　it　is　not　even　claimed　that　a　purely　feminine　culture
would　have　advanced　the　world　more　successfully。　　It　does　claim　that　the
influence　of　the　two　together　is　better　than　that　of　either　one　alone；
and　in　especial　to　point　out　what　special　kind　of　injury　is　due　to　the
exclusive　influence　of　one　sex　heretofore。

We　have　to…day　reached　a　degree　of　human　development　where　both　men　and
women　are　capable　of　seeing　over　and　across　the　distinctions　of　sex；　and
mutually　working　for　the　advancement　of　the　world。　　Our　progress　is；
however；　seriously　impeded　by　what　we　may　call　the　masculine　tradition；
the　unconscious　dominance　of　a　race　habit　based　on　this　long
androcentric　period；　and　it　is　well　worth　while；　in　the　interests　of
both　sexes；　to　show　the　mischievous　effects　of　the　predominance　of　one。

We　have　in　our　ethics　not　only　a　〃double　standard〃　in　one　special　line；
but　in　nearly　all。　　Man；　as　a　sex；　has　quite　naturally　deified　his　own
qualities　rather　than　those　of　his　opposite。　　In　his　codes　of　manners；
of　morals；　of　laws；　in　his　early　concepts　of　God；　his　ancient　religions；
we　see　masculinity　written　large　on　every　side。　　Confining　women　wholly
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　bene