our androcentric culture-第12章

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and　ignore　it　themselves。　　The　underlying　reason　for　the　whole　thing　is
the　benefit　of　the　child；　and　to　that　end　a　pure　and　noble　fatherhood　is
requisite；　as　well　as　such　a　motherhood。　　Under　the　limitations　of　a　too
masculine　ethics；　we　have　developed　on　this　one　line　social　conditions
which　would　be　absurdly　funny　if　they　were　not　so　horrible。

Religion；　be　it　noticed；　does　not　bear　out　this　attitude。　　The　immense
human　need　of　religion；　the　noble　human　character　of　the　great　religious
teachers；　has　always　set　its　standards；　when　first　established；　ahead　of
human　conduct。

Some　there　are；　men　of　learning　and　authority；　who　hold　that　the
deadening　immobility　of　our　religions；　their　resistance　to　progress　and
relentless　preservation　of　primitive　ideals；　is　due　to　the　conservatism
of　women。　　Men；　they　say；　are　progressive　by　nature；　women　are
conservative。　　Women　are　more　religious　than　men；　and　so　preserve　old
religious　forms　unchanged　after　men　have　outgrown　them。

If　we　saw　women　in　absolute　freedom；　with　a　separate　religion　devised　by
women；　practiced　by　women；　and　remaining　unchanged　through　the
centuries；　while　men；　on　the　other　hand；　bounded　bravely　forward；　making
new　ones　as　fast　as　they　were　needed；　this　belief　might　be　maintained。　
But　what　do　we　see？　　All　the　old　religions　made　by　men；　and　forced　on
the　women　whether　they　liked　it　or　not。　　Often　women　not　even　considered
as　part　of　the　schemedenied　soulsgiven　a　much　lower　place　in　the
systemgoing　from　the　service　of　their　father's　gods　to　the　service　of
their　husbandshaving　none　of　their　own。　　We　see　religions　which　make
practically　no　place　for　women；　as　with　the　Moslem；　as　rigidly　bigoted
and　unchanging　as　any　other。

We　see　also　this：　that　the　wider　and　deeper　the　religion；　the　more
human；　the　more　it　calls　for　practical　applications　in　Christianitythe
more　it　appeals　to　women。　　Further；　in　the　diverging　sects　of　the
Christian　religion；　we　find　that　its　progressiveness　is　to　be　measured；
not　by　the　numbers　of　its　women　adherents；　but　by　their　relative
freedom。　　The　women　of　America；　who　belong　to　a　thousand　sects；　who
follow　new　ones　with　avidity；　who　even　make　them；　and　who　also　leave
them　all　as　men　do；　are　women；　as　well　as　those　of　Spain；　who　remain
contented　Romanists；　but　in　America　the　status　of　women　is　higher。

The　fact　is　this：　a　servile　womanhood　is　in　a　state　of　arrested
development；　and　as　such　does　form　a　ground　for　the　retention　of　ancient
ideas。　　But　this　is　due　to　the　condition　of　servility；　not　to　womanhood。
　That　women　at　present　are　the　bulwark　of　the　older　forms　of　our
religions　is　due　to　the　action　of　two　classes　of　men：　the　men　of　the
world；　who　keep　women　in　their　restricted　position；　and　the　men　of　the
church；　who　take　every　advantage　of　the　limitations　of　women。　　When　we
have　for　the　first　time　in　history　a　really　civilized　womanhood；　we　can
then　judge　better　of　its　effect　on　religion。

Meanwhile；　we　can　see　quite　clearly　the　effect　of　manhood。　　Keeping　in
mind　those　basic　masculine　impulsesdesire　and　combatwe　see　them
reflected　from　high　heaven　in　their　religious　concepts。　　Reward！　
Something　to　want　tremendously　and　struggle　to　achieve！　　This　is　a
concept　perfectly　masculine　and　most　imperfectly　religious。　　A　religion
is　partly　explanationa　theory　of　life；　it　is　partly　emotionan
attitude　of　mind；　it　is　partly　actiona　system　of　morals。　　Man's
special　effect　on　this　large　field　of　human　development　is　clear。　　He
pictured　his　early　gods　as　like　to　himself；　and　they　behaved　in
accordance　with　his　ideals。　　In　the　dimmest；　oldest　religions；　nearest
the　matriarchate；　we　find　great　goddessestypes　of　Motherhood；
Mother…love；　Mother…care　and　Service。　　But　under　masculine　dominance；
Isis　and　Ashteroth　dwindle　away　to　an　alluring　Aphroditenot　Womanhood
for　the　child　and　the　Worldbut　the　incarnation　of　female
attractiveness　for　man。

As　the　idea　of　heaven　developed　in　the　man's　mind　it　became　the　Happy
Hunting　Ground　of　the　savage；　the　beery　and　gory　Valhalla　of　the
Norseman；　the　voluptuous；　many…houri…ed　Paradise　of　the　Mohammedan。　
These　are　men's　heavens　all。　　Women　have　never　been　so　fond　of　hunting；
beer　or　blood；　and　their　houris　would　be　of　the　other　kind。　　It　may　be
said　that　the　early　Christian　idea　of　heaven　is　by　no　means　planned　for
men。　　That　is　trite；　and　is　perhaps　the　reason　why　it　has　never　had　so
compelling　an　attraction　for　them。

Very　early　in　his　vague　efforts　towards　religious　expression；　man　voiced
his　second　strongest　instinctthat　of　combat。　　His　universe　is　always
dual；　always　a　scene　of　combat。　　Born　with　that　impulse；　exercising　it
continually；　he　naturally　assumed　it　to　be　the　major　process　in　life。　
It　is　not。　　Growth　is　the　major　process。　　Combat　is　a　useful　subsidiary
process；　chiefly　valuable　for　its　initial　use；　to　transmit　the　physical
superiority　of　the　victor。　　Psychic　and　social　advantages　are　not　thus
secured　or　transmitted。

In　no　one　particular　is　the　androcentric　character　of　our　common　thought
more　clearly　shown　than　in　the　general　deification　of　what　are　now
described　as　〃conflict　stimuli。〃　　That　which　is　true　of　the　male
creature　as　such　is　assumed　to　be　true　of　life　in　general；　quite
naturally；　but　by　no　means　correctly。　　To　this　universal　masculine　error
we　may　trace　in　the　field　of　religion　and　ethics　the　great　devil　theory；
which　has　for　so　long　obscured　our　minds。　　A　God　without　an　Adversary
was　inconceivable　to　the　masculine　mind。　　From　this　basic　misconception
we　find　all　our　ideas　of　ethics　distorted；　that　which　should　have　been
treated　as　a　group　of　truths　to　be　learned　and　habits　to　be　cultivated
was　treated　in　terms　of　combat；　and　moral　growth　made　an　everlasting
battle。　　This　combat　theory　we　may　follow　later　into　our　common　notions
of　discipline；　government；　law　and　punishment；　here　is　it　enough　to　see
its　painful　effects　in　this　primary　field　of　ethics　and　religion？

The　third　essential　male　trait　of　self…expression　we　may　follow　from　its
innocent　natural　form　in　strutting　cock　or　stamping　stag　up　to　the
characteristics　we　label　vanity　and　pride。　　The　degradation　of　women　in
forcing　them　to　adopt　masculine　methods　of　personal　decoration　as　a
means　of　livelihood；　has　carried　with　the　concomitant　of　personal
vanity：　but　to　this　day　and　at　their　worst　we　do　not　find　in　women　the
_naive_　exultant　glow　of　pride　which　swells　the　bosom　of　the　men　who
march　in　procession　with　brass　bands；　in　full　regalia　of　any　sort；　so
that　it　be　gorgeous；　exhibiting　their　glories　to　all。

It　is　this　purely　masculine　spirit　which　has　given　to　our　early　concepts
of　Deity　the　unadmirable　qualities　of　boundless　pride　and　a　thirst　for
constant　praise　and　prostrate　admiration；　characteristics　certainly
unbefitting　any　noble　idea　of　God。　　Desire；　combat　and　self…expression
all　have　had　their　unavoidable　influence　on　masculine　religions。　　What
deified　Maternity　a　purely　feminine　culture　might　have　put　forth　we　do
not　know；　having　had　none　such。　　Women　are　generally　credited　with　as
much　moral　sense　as　men；　and　as　much　religious　instinct；　but　so　far　it
has　had　small　power　to　modify　our　prevailing　creeds。

As　a　matter　of　fact；　no　special　sex　attributes　should　have　any　weight　in
our　ideas　of　right　and　wrong。　　Ethics　and　religion　are　distinctly　human
concerns；　they　belong　to　us　as　social　factors；　not　as　physical　ones。　　As
we　learn　to　recognize　our　humanness；　and　to　leave　our　sex
characteristics　where　they　belong；　we　shall　at　last　learn　something
about　ethics　as　a　simple　and　practical　science；　and　see　that　religions
grow　as　the　mind　grows　to　formulate　them。

If　anyone　seeks　for　a　clear；　simple；　easily　grasped　proof　of　our　ethics；
it　is　to　be　found　in　a　popular　proverb。　　Struggling　upward　from　beast
and　savage　into　humanness；　man　has　seen；　reverenced；　and　striven　to
attain　various　human　virtues。

He　was　willing　to　check　many　primitive　impulses；　to　change　many
barbarous　habits；　to　manifest　newer；　nobler　powers。　　Much　he　would
concede　to　Humanness；　but　not　his　sexthat　was　beyond　the　range　of
Ethics　or　Religion。　　By　the　state　of　what　he　calls　〃morals；〃　and　the
laws　he　makes　to　regulate　them；　by　his　attitude　in　courtship　and　in
marriage；　and　by　the　gross　anomaly　of　militarism；　in　all　its　senseless
waste　of　life　and　wealth　and　joy；　we　may　perceive　this　little　masculine
exception：

〃All's　fair　in　love　and　war。〃



OUR　ANDROCENTRIC　CULTURE；　or；　THE　MAN…MADE　WORLD


VIII。

EDUCATION。


The　origin　of　education　is　maternal。　　The　mother　animal　is　seen　to　teach
her　young　what　she　knows　of　life；　its　gains　and　losses；　and；　whether
consciously　done　or　not；　this　is　education。　　In　our　human　life；
education；　even　in　its　present　state；　is　the　most　important　process。　
Without　it　we　could　not　maintain　ourselves；　much　less　dominate　and
improve　conditions　as　we　do；　and　when　education　is　what　it　should　be；
our　power　will　increase　far　beyond　present　hopes。

In　lower　animals；　speaking　generally；　the　powers　of　the　race　must　be
lodged　in　each　individual。　　No　gain　of　personal　experience　is　of　avail
to　the　others。　　No　advantages　remain；　save　those　physically　transmitted。
　The　narrow　limits　of　personal　gain　and　personal　inheritance　rigidly　hem
in　sub…human　progress。　　With　us；　what　one　learns　may　be　taught　to　the
others。　　Our　life　is　social；　collective。　　Our　gain　is　for　all；　and
profits　us　in　proportion　as　we　extend　it　to　all。　　As　the　human　soul
develops　in　us；　we　become　able　to　grasp　more　fully　our　common　needs　and
advantages；　and　with　this　growth　has　come　the　extension　of　education　to
the　people　as　a　whole。　　Social　functions　are　developed　under　natural
laws；　like　physical　ones；　and　may　be　studied　similarly。

In　the　evolution　of　this　basic　social　function；　what　has　been　the　effect
of　wholly　masculine　influence？

The　original　process；　instruction　of　individual　child　by　individual
mother；　has　been　largely　neglected　in　our　man…made　world。　　That　was
considered　as　a　subsidiary　sex…function　of　the　woman；　and　as　such；　left
to　her　〃instinct。〃　　This　is　the　main　reason　why　we　show　such　great
progress　in　education　for　older　children；　and　especially　for　youths；　and
so　little　comparatively　in　that　given　to　little　ones。

We　have　had　on　the　one　side　the　natural　current　of　maternal　education；
with　its　first　assistant；　the　nursemaid；　and　its　second；　the
〃dame…school〃；　and　on　the　other　the　influence　of　the　dominant　class；
organized　in　university；　college；　and　public　school；　slowly　filtering
downward。

Educational　forces　are　many。　　The　child　is　born　into　certain　conditions；
physical　and　psychic；　and　〃educated〃　thereby。　　He　grows　up　into　social；
political　and　economic　conditions；　and　is　further　modified　by　them。　　All
these　conditions；　so　far；　have　been　of　androcentric　character；　but　what
we　call　education　as　a　special　social　process　is　what　the　child　is
deliberately　taught　and　subjected　to；　and　it　is　here　we　may　see　the　same
dominant　influence　so　clearly。

This　conscious　education　was；　for　long；　given　to　boys　alone；　the　girls
being　left　to　maternal　influence；　each　to　learn　what　her　mother　knew；
and　no　more。　　This　very　clear　instance　of　the　masculine　theory　is
glaring　enough　by　itself　to　rest　a　case　o