our androcentric culture-第18章

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male　he　fought；　as　a　male　human　being　he　fought　more；　and　deified
fighting；　and　in　a　culture　based　on　desire　and　combat；　loud　with
strident　self…expression；　there　could　be　but　slow　acceptance　of　the　more
human　methods　urged　by　Christianity。　　〃It　is　a　religion　for　slaves　and
women！〃　said　the　warrior　of　old。　　（Slaves　and　women　were　largely　the
same　thing。）　　〃It　is　a　religion　for　slaves　and　women〃　says　the　advocate
of　the　Superman。

Well？　　Who　did　the　work　of　all　the　ancient　world？　　Who　raised　the　food
and　garnered　it　and　cooked　it　and　served　it？　　Who　built　the　houses；　the
temples；　the　acqueducts；　the　city　wall？　　Who　made　the　furniture；　the
tools；　the　weapons；　the　utensils；　the　ornamentsmade　them　strong　and
beautiful　and　useful？　　Who　kept　the　human　race　going；　somehow；　in　spite
of　the　constant　hideous　waste　of　war；　and　slowly　built　up　the　real
industrial　civilization　behind　that　gory　show？Why　just　the　slaves　and
the　women。

A　religion　which　had　attractions　for　the　real　human　type　is　not
therefore　to　be　utterly　despised　by　the　male。

In　modern　history　we　may　watch　with　increasing　ease　the　slow；　sure
progress　of　our　growing　humanness　beneath　the　weakening　shell　of　an
all…male　dominance。　　And　in　this　field　of　what　begins　in　the　nurse　as
〃discipline；〃　and　ends　on　the　scaffold　as　〃punishment；〃　we　can　clearly
see　that　blessed　change。

What　is　the　natural；　the　human　attribute？　　What　does　this　〃Love；〃　and
〃Do　good；〃　and　〃Serve〃　mean？　　In　the　blundering　old　church；　still
androcentric；　there　was　a　great　to…do　to　carry　out　this　doctrine；　in
elaborate　symbolism。　　A　set　of　beggars　and　cripples；　gathered　for　the
occasion；　was　exhibited；　and　kings　and　cardinals　went　solemnly　through
the　motions　of　serving　them。　　As　the　English　schoolboy　phrased　it；
〃Thomas　Becket　washed　the　feet　of　leopards。〃

Service　and　love　and　doing　good　must　always　remain　side　issues　in　a　male
world。　　Service　and　love　and　doing　good　are　the　spirit　of　motherhood；
and　the　essense　of　human　life。

Human　life　is　service；　and　is　not　combat。　　There　you　have　the　nature　of
the　change　now　upon　us。

What　has　the　male　mind　made　of　Christianity？

Desireto　save　one's　own　soul。　　Combatwith　the　Devil。　
Self…expressionthe　whole　gorgeous　outpouring　of　pageant　and　display；
from　the　jewels　of　the　high　priest's　breastplate　to　the　choir　of
mutilated　men　to　praise　a　male　Deity　no　woman　may　so　serve。

What　kind　of　mind　can　imagine　a　kind　of　god　who　would　like　a　eunuch
better　than　a　woman？

For　woman　they　made　at　last　a　placethe　usual　placeof　renunciation；
sacrifice　and　service；　the　Sisters　of　Mercy　and　their　kind；　and　in　that
loving　service　the　woman　soul　has　been　content；　not　yearning　for
cardinal's　cape　or　bishop's　mitre。

All　this　is　changingchanging　fast。　　Everywhere　the　churches　are
broadening　out　into　more　service；　and　the　service　broadening　out　beyond
a　little　group　of　widows　and　fatherless；　of　sick　and　in　prison；　to
embrace　its　true　fieldall　human　life。　　In　this　new　attitude；　how　shall
we　face　the　problems　of　crime？

Thus：　〃It　is　painfully　apparent　that　a　certain　percentage　of　our　people
do　not　function　properly。　　They　perform　antisocial　acts。　　Why？　　What　is
the　matter　with　them？〃

Then　the　heart　and　mind　of　society　is　applied　to　the　question；　and
certain　results　are　soon　reached；　others　slowly　worked　toward。

First　result。　　Some　persons　are　so　morally　diseased　that　they　must　have
hospital　treatment。　　The　world's　last　prison　will　be　simply　a　hospital
for　moral　incurables。　　They　must　by　no　means　reproduce　their　kind；that
can　be　attended　to　at　once。　　Some　are　morally　diseased；　but　may　be
cured；　and　the　best　powers　of　society　will　be　used　to　cure　them。　　Some
are　only　morally　diseased　because　of　the　conditions　in　which　they　are
born　and　reared；　and　here　society　can　save　millions　at　once。

An　intelligent　society　will　no　more　neglect　its　children　than　an
intelligent　mother　will　neglect　her　children；　and　will　see　as　clearly
that　ill…fed；　ill…dressed；　ill…taught　and　vilely　associated　little　ones
must　grow　up　gravely　injured。

As　a　matter　of　fact　we　make　our　crop　of　criminals；　just　as　we　make　our
idiots；　blind；　crippled；　and　generally　defective。　　Everyone　is　a　baby
first；　and　a　baby　is　not　a　criminal；　unless　we　make　it　so。　　It　never
would　be；in　right　conditions。　　Sometimes　a　pervert　is　born；　as
sometimes　a　two…headed　calf　is　born；　but　they　are　not　common。

The　older；　simpler　forms　of　crime　we　may　prevent　with　case　and　despatch；
but　how　of　the　new　ones？big；　terrible；　far…reaching；　wide…spread
crimes；　for　which　we　have　as　yet　no　names；　and　before　which　our　old
system　of　anti…personal　punishment　falls　helpless？　　What　of　the　crimes
of　poisoning　a　community　with　bad　food；　of　defiling　the　water；　of
blackening　the　air；　of　stealing　whole　forests？　　What　of　the　crimes　of
working　little　children；　of　building　and　renting　tenements　that　produce
crime　and　physical　disease　as　well？　　What　of　the　crime　of　living　on　the
wages　of　fallen　womenof　hiring　men　to　ruin　innocent　young　girls；　of
holding　them　enslaved　and　selling　them　for　profit？　　（These　things　are
only　〃misdemeanors〃　in　a　man…made　world！）

And　what　about　a　crime　like　this；　to　use　the　public　press　to　lie　to　the
public　for　private　ends？　　No　name　yet　for　this　crime；　much　less　a
penalty。

And　this：　To　bring　worse　than　leprosy　to　an　innocent　clean　wife　who
loves　and　trusts　you？

Or　this：　To　knowingly　plant　poison　in　an　unborn　child？

No　names；　for　these；　no　〃penalties〃；　no　conceivable　penalty　that　could
touch　them。

The　whole　punishment　system　falls　to　the　ground　before　the　huge　mass　of
evil　that　confronts　us。　　If　we　saw　a　procession　of　air　ships　flying　over
a　city　and　dropping　bombs；　should　we　rush　madly　off　after　each　one
crying；　〃Catch　him！　　Punish　him！〃　or　should　we　try　to　stop　the
procession？

The　time　is　coming　when　the　very　word　〃crime〃　will　be　disused；　except　in
poems　and　orations；　and　〃punishment；〃　the　word　and　deed；　be　obliterated。
　We　are　beginning　to　learn　a　little　of　the　nature　of　humanity　its
goodness；　its　beauty；　its　lovingness；　and　to　see　that　even　its　stupidity
is　only　due　to　our　foolish　old　methods　of　education。

It　is　not　new　power；　new　light；　new　hope　that　we　need；　but　_to
understand　what　ails　us。_

We　know　enough　now；　we　care　enough　now；　we　are　strong　enough　now；　to
make　the　whole　world　a　thousand　fold　better　in　a　generation；　but　we　are
shackled；　chained；　blinded；　by　old　false　notions。　　The　ideas　of　the
past；　the　sentiments　of　the　past；　the　attitude　and　prejudices　of　the
past；　are　in　our　way；　and　among　them　none　more　universally　mischievous
than　this　great　body　of　ideas　and　sentiments；　prejudices　and　habits；
which　make　up　the　offensive　network　of　the　androcentric　culture。



OUR　ANDROCENTRIC　CULTURE；　or；　THE　MAN…MADE　WORLD


XII。

POLITICS　AND　WARFARE。


I　go　to　my　old　dictionary；　and　find；　〃Politics；　I。　　The　science　of
government；　that　part　of　ethics　which　has　to　do　with　the　regulation　and
government　of　a　nation　or　state；　the　preservation　of　its　safety；　peace
and　prosperity；　the　defence　of　its　existence　and　rights　against　foreign
control　or　conquest；　the　augmentation　of　its　strength　and　resources；　and
the　protection　of　its　citizens　in　their　rights；　with　the　preservation
and　improvement　of　their　morals。　　2。　　The　management　of　political
parties；　the　advancement　of　candidates　to　office；　in　a　bad　sense；　artful
or　dishonest　management　to　secure　the　success　of　political　measures　or
party　schemes；　political　trickery。〃

From　present　day　experience　we　might　add；　3。　　Politics；　practical；　The
art　of　organizing　and　handling　men　in　large　numbers；　manipulating　votes；
and；　in　especial；　appropriating　public　wealth。

We　can　easily　see　that　the　〃science　of　government〃　may　be　divided　into
〃pure〃　and　〃applied〃　like　other　sciences；　but　that　it　is　〃a　part　of
ethics〃　will　be　news　to　many　minds。

Yet　why　not？　　Ethics　is　the　science　of　conduct；　and　politics　is　merely
one　field　of　conduct；　a　very　common　one。　　Its　connection　with　Warfare　in
this　chapter　is　perfectly　legitimate　in　view　of　the　history　of　politics
on　the　one　hand；　and　the　imperative　modern　issues　which　are　to…day
opposed　to　this　established　combination。

There　are　many　to…day　who　hold　that　politics　need　not　be　at　all
connected　with　warfare；　and　others　who　hold　that　politics　is　warfare
front　start　to　finish。

In　order　to　dissociate　the　two　ideas　completely　let　us　give　a　paraphrase
of　the　above　definition；　applying　it　to　domestic　management；that　part
of　ethics　which　has　to　do　with　the　regulation　and　government　of　a
family；　the　preservation　of　its　safety；　peace　and　prosperity；　the
defense　of　its　existence　and　rights　against　any　strangers'　interference
or　control；　the　augmentation　of　its　strength　and　resources；　and　the
protection　of　its　members　in　their　rights；　with　the　preservation　and
improvement　of　their　morals。

All　this　is　simple　enough；　and　in　no　way　masculine；　neither　is　it
feminine；　save　in　this；　that　the　tendency　to　care　for；　defend　and　manage
a　group；　is　in　its　origin　maternal。

In　every　human　sense；　however；　politics　has　left　its　maternal　base　far
in　the　background；　and　as　a　field　of　study　and　of　action　is　as　well
adapted　to　men　as　to　women。　　There　is　no　reason　whatever　why　men　should
not　develop　great　ability　in　this　department　of　ethics；　and　gradually
learn　how　to　preserve　the　safety；　peace　and　prosperity　of　their　nation；
together　with　those　other　services　as　to　resources；　protection　of
citizens；　and　improvement　of　morals。

Men；　as　human　beings；　are　capable　of　the　noblest　devotion　and　efficiency
in　these　matters；　and　have　often　shown　them；　but　their　devotion　and
efficiency　have　been　marred　in　this；　as　in　so　many　other　fields；　by　the
constant　obtrusion　of　an　ultra…masculine　tendency。

In　warfare；　_per　se_；　we　find　maleness　in　its　absurdest　extremes。　　Here
is　to　be　studied　the　whole　gamut　of　basic　masculinity；　from　the　initial
instinct　of　combat；　through　every　form　of　glorious　ostentation；　with　the
loudest　possible　accompaniment　of　noise。

Primitive　warfare　had　for　its　climax　the　possession　of　the　primitive
prize；　the　female。　　Without　dogmatising　on　so　remote　a　period；　it　may　be
suggested　as　a　fair　hypothesis　that　this　was　the　very　origin　of　our
organized　raids。　　We　certainly　find　war　before　there　was　property　in
land；　or　any　other　property　to　tempt　aggressors。　　Women；　however；　there
were　always；　and　when　a　specially　androcentric　tribe　had　reduced　its
supply　of　women　by　cruel　treatment；　or　they　were　not　born　in　sufficient
numbers；　owing　to　hard　conditions；　men　must　needs　go　farther　afield
after　other　women。　　Then；　since　the　men　of　the　other　tribes　naturally
objected　to　losing　their　main　labor　supply　and　comfort；　there　was　war。

Thus　based　on　the　sex　impulse；　it　gave　full　range　to　the　combative
instinct；　and　further　to　that　thirst　for　vocal　exultation　so　exquisitely
male。　　The　proud　bellowings　of　the　conquering　stag；　as　he　trampled　on
his　prostrate　rival；　found　higher　expression　in　the　〃triumphs〃　of　old
days；　when　the　conquering　warrior　returned　to　his　home；　with　victims
chained　to　his　chariot　wheels；　and　braying　trumpets。

When　property　became　an　appreciable　factor　in　life；　warfare　took　on　a
new