our androcentric culture-第2章

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works　of　Marholmpoor　young　Weininger；　Moebius；　and　others；　we　find　the
same　perpetual　discussion　of　womenas　such。

This　is　a　book　about　menas　such。　　It　differentiates　between　the　human
nature　and　the　sex　nature。　　It　will　not　go　so　far　as　to　allege　man's
masculine　traits　to　be　all　that　excuse；　or　explain　his　existence：　but　it
will　point　out　what　are　masculine　traits　as　distinct　from　human　ones；
and　what　has　been　the　effect　on　our　human　life　of　the　unbridled
dominance　of　one　sex。

We　can　see　at　once；　glaringly；　what　would　have　been　the　result　of　giving
all　human　affairs　into　female　hands。　　Such　an　extraordinary　and
deplorable　situation　would　have　〃feminized〃　the　world。　　We　should　have
all　become　〃effeminate。〃

See　how　in　our　use　of　language　the　case　is　clearly　shown。　　The
adjectives　and　derivatives　based　on　woman's　distinctions　are　alien　and
derogatory　when　applied　to　human　affairs；　〃effeminate〃too　female；
connotes　contempt；　but　has　no　masculine　analogue；　whereas
〃emasculate〃not　enough　male；　is　a　term　of　reproach；　and　has　no
feminine　analogue。　　〃Virile〃manly；　we　oppose　to　〃puerile〃childish；
and　the　very　word　〃virtue〃　is　derived　from　〃vir〃a　man。

Even　in　the　naming　of　other　animals　we　have　taken　the　male　as　the　race
type；　and　put　on　a　special　termination　to　indicate　〃his　female；〃　as　in
lion；　lioness；　leopard；　leopardess；　while　all　our　human　scheme　of　things
rests　on　the　same　tacit　assumption；　man　being　held　the　human　type；　woman
a　sort　of　accompaniment　aud　subordinate　assistant；　merely　essential　to
the　making　of　people。

She　has　held　always　the　place　of　a　preposition　in　relation　to　man。　　She
has　been　considered　above　him　or　below　him；　before　him；　behind　him；
beside　him；　a　wholly　relative　existence〃Sydney's　sister；〃　〃Pembroke's
mother〃but　never　by　any　chance　Sydney　or　Pembroke　herself。

Acting　on　this　assumption；　all　human　standards　have　been　based　on　male
characteristics；　and　when　we　wish　to　praise　the　work　of　a　woman；　we　say
she　has　〃a　masculine　mind。〃

It　is　no　easy　matter　to　deny　or　reverse　a　universal　assumption。　　The
human　mind　has　had　a　good　many　jolts　since　it　began　to　think；　but　after
each　upheaval　it　settles　down　as　peacefully　as　the　vine…growers　on
Vesuvius；　accepting　the　last　lava　crust　as　permanent　ground。

What　we　see　immediately　around　us；　what　we　are　born　into　and　grow　up
with；　be　it　mental　furniture　or　physical；　we　assume　to　be　the　order　of
nature。

If　a　given　idea　has　been　held　in　the　human　mind　for　many　generations；　as
almost　all　our　common　ideas　have；　it　takes　sincere　and　continued　effort
to　remove　it；　and　if　it　is　one　of　the　oldest　we　have　in　stock；　one　of
the　big；　common；　unquestioned　world　ideas；　vast　is　the　labor　of　those
who　seek　to　change　it。

Nevertheless；　if　the　matter　is　one　of　importance；　if　the　previous　idea
was　a　palpable　error；　of　large　and　evil　effect；　and　if　the　new　one　is
true　and　widely　important；　the　effort　is　worth　making。

The　task　here　undertaken　is　of　this　sort。　　It　seeks　to　show　that　what　we
have　all　this　time　called　〃human　nature〃　and　deprecated；　was　in　great
part　only　male　nature；　and　good　enough　in　its　place；　that　what　we　have
called　〃masculine〃　and　admired　as　such；　was　in　large　part　human；　and
should　be　applied　to　both　sexes：　that　what　we　have　called　〃feminine〃　and
condemned；　was　also　largely　human　and　applicable　to　both。　　Our
androcentric　culture　is　so　shown　to　have　been；　and　still　to　be；　a
masculine　culture　in　excess；　and　therefore　undesirable。

In　the　preliminary　work　of　approaching　these　facts　it　will　be　well　to
explain　how　it　can　be　that　so　wide　and　serious　an　error　should　have　been
made　by　practically　all　men。　　The　reason　is　simply　that　they　were　men。　　
They　were　males；　avid　saw　women　as　femalesand　not　otherwise。

So　absolute　is　this　conviction　that　the　man　who　reads　will　say；　〃Of
course！　　How　else　are　we　to　look　at　women　except　as　females？　　They　are
females；　aren't　they？〃　　Yes；　they　are；　as　men　are　males　unquestionably；
but　there　is　possible　the　frame　of　mind　of　the　old　marquise　who　was
asked　by　an　English　friend　how　she　could　bear　to　have　the　footman　serve
her　breakfast　in　bedto　have　a　man　in　her　bed…chamberand　replied
sincerely；　〃Call　you　that　thing　there　a　man？〃

The　world　is　full　of　men；　but　their　principal　occupation　is　human　work
of　some　sort；　and　women　see　in　them　the　human　distinction
preponderantly。　　Occasionally　some　unhappy　lady　marries　her
coachmanlong　contemplation　of　broad　shoulders　having　an　effect；
apparently；　but　in　general　women　see　the　human　creature　most；　the　male
creature　only　when　they　love。

To　the　man；　the　whole　world　was　his　world；　his　because　he　was　male；　and
the　whole　world　of　woman　was　the　home；　because　she　was　female。　　She　had
her　prescribed　sphere；　strictly　limited　to　her　feminine　occupations　and
interests；　he　had　all　the　rest　of　life；　and　not　only　so；　but；　having　it；
insisted　on　calling　it　male。

This　accounts　for　the　general　attitude　of　men　toward　the　now　rapid
humanization　of　women。　　From　her　first　faint　struggles　toward　freedom
and　justice；　to　her　present　valiant　efforts　toward　full　economic　and
political　equality；　each　step　has　been　termed　〃unfeminine〃　and　resented
as　an　intrusion　upon　man's　place　and　power。　　Here　shows　the　need　of　our
new　classification；　of　the　three　distinct　fields　of　lifemasculine；
feminine　and　human。

As　a　matter　of　fact；　there　is　a　〃woman's　sphere；〃　sharply　defined　and
quite　different　from　his；　there　is　also　a　〃man's　sphere；〃　as　sharply
defined　and　even　more　limited；　but　there　remains　a　common　spherethat
of　humanity；　which　belongs　to　both　alike。

In　the　earlier　part　of　what　is　known　as　〃the　woman's　movement；〃　it　was
sharply　opposed　on　the　ground　that　women　would　become　〃unsexed。〃　　Let　us
note　in　passing　that　they　have　become　unsexed　in　one　particular；　most
glaringly　so；　and　that　no　one　has　noticed　or　objected　to　it。

As　part　of　our　androcentric　culture　we　may　point　to　the　peculiar
reversal　of　sex　characteristics　which　make　the　human　female　carry　the
burden　of　ornament。　　She　alone；　of　all　human　creatures；　has　adopted　the
essentially　masculine　attribute　of　special　sex…decoration；　she　does　not
fight　for　her　mate　as　yet；　but　she　blooms　forth　as　the　peacock　and　bird
of　paradise；　in　poignant　reversal　of　nature's　laws；　even　wearing
masculine　feathers　to　further　her　feminine　ends。

Woman's　natural　work　as　a　female　is　that　of　the　mother；　man's　natural
work　as　a　male　is　that　of　the　father；　their　mutual　relation　to　this　end
being　a　source　of　joy　and　well…being　when　rightly　held：　but　human　work
covers　all　our　life　outside　of　these　specialties。　　Every　handicraft；
every　profession；　every　science；　every　art；　all　normal　amusements　and
recreations；　all　government；　education；　religion；　the　whole　living　world
of　human　achievement：　all　this　is　human。

That　one　sex　should　have　monopolized　all　human　activities；　called　them
〃man's　work；〃　and　managed　them　as　such；　is　what　is　meant　by　the　phrase
〃Androcentric　Culture。〃



OUR　ANDROCENTRIC　CULTURE；　or；　THE　MAN…MADE　WORLD


II。

THE　MAN…MADE　FAMILY。


The　family　is　older　than　humanity；　and　therefore　cannot　be　called　a
human　institution。　　A　post　office；　now；　is　wholly　human；　no　other
creature　has　a　post　office；　but　there　are　families　in　plenty　among　birds
and　beasts；　all　kinds　permanent　and　transient；　monogamous；　polygamous
and　polyandrous。

We　are　now　to　consider　the　growth　of　the　family　in　humanity；　what　is　its
rational　development　in　humanness；　in　mechanical；　mental　and　social
lines；　in　the　extension　of　love　and　service；　and　the　effect　upon　it　of
this　strange　new　arrangementa　masculine　proprietor。

Like　all　natural　institutions　the　family　has　a　purpose；　and　is　to　be
measured　primarily　as　it　serves　that　purpose；　which　is；　the　care　and
nurture　of　the　young。　　To　protect　the　helpless　little　ones；　to　feed　and
shelter　them；　to　ensure　them　the　benefits　of　an　ever　longer　period　of
immaturity；　and　so　to　improve　the　racethis　is　the　original　purpose　of
the　family。

When　a　natural　institution　becomes　human　it　enters　the　plane　of
consciousness。　　We　think　about　it；　and；　in　our　strange　new　power　of
voluntary　action　do　things　to　it。　　We　have　done　strange　things　to　the
family；　or；　more　specifically；　men　have。

Balsac；　at　his　bitterest；　observed；　〃Women's　virtue　is　man's　best
invention。〃　Balsac　was　wrong。　　Virtuethe　unswerving　devotion　to　one
mateis　common　among　birds　and　some　of　the　higher　mammals。　　If　Balsac
meant　celibacy　when　he　said　virtue；　why　that　is　one　of　man's
inventionsthough　hardly　his　best。

What　man　has　done　to　the　family；　speaking　broadly；　is　to　change　it　from
an　institution　for　the　best　service　of　the　child　to　one　modified　to　his
own　service；　the　vehicle　of　his　comfort；　power　and　pride。

Among　the　heavy　millions　of　the　stirred　East；　a　childnecessarily　a
male　childis　desired　for　the　credit　and　glory　of　the　father；　and　his
fathers；　in　place　of　seeing　that　all　a　parent　is　for　is　the　best　service
of　the　child。　　Ancestor　worship；　that　gross　reversal　of　all　natural　law；
is　of　wholly　androcentric　origin。　　It　is　strongest　among　old　patriarchal
races；　lingers　on　in　feudal　Europe；　is　to　be　traced　even　in　America
today　in　a　few　sporadic　efforts　to　magnify　the　deeds　of　our　ancestors。

The　best　thing　any　of　us　can　do　for　our　ancestors　is　to　be　better　than
they　were；　and　we　ought　to　give　our　minds　to　it。　　When　we　use　our　past
merely　as　a　guide…book；　and　concentrate　our　noble　emotions　on　the
present　and　future；　we　shall　improve　more　rapidly。

The　peculiar　changes　brought　about　in　family　life　by　the　predominance　of
the　male　are　easily　traced。　　In　these　studies　we　must　keep　clearly　in
mind　the　basic　masculine　characteristics：　desire；　combat；
self…expressionall　legitimate　and　right　in　proper　use；　only
mischievous　when　excessive　or　out　of　place。　　Through　them　the　male　is
led　to　strenuous　competition　for　the　favor　of　the　female；　in　the
overflowing　ardours　of　song；　as　in　nightingale　and　tomcat；　in　wasteful
splendor　of　personal　decoration；　from　the　pheasant's　breast　to　an
embroidered　waistcoat；　and　in　direct　struggle　for　the　prize；　from　the
stag's　locked　horns　to　the　clashing　spears　of　the　tournament。

It　is　earnestly　hoped　that　no　reader　will　take　offence　at　the
necessarily　frequent；　reference　to　these　essential　features　of　maleness。
　In　the　many　books　about　women　it　is；　naturally；　their　femaleness　that
has　been　studied　and　enlarged　upon。　　And　though　women；　after　thousands
of　years　of　such　discussion；　have　become　a　little　restive　under　the
constant　use　of　the　word　female：　men；　as　rational　beings；　should　not
object　to　an　analogous　studyat　least　not　for　some　timea　few
centuries　or　so。

How；　then；　do　we　find　these　masculine　tendencies；　desire；　combat　and
self…expression；　affect　the　home　and　family　when　given　too　much　power？

First　comes　the　effect　in　the　preliminary　work　of　selection。　　One　of　the
most　uplifting　forces　of　nature　is　that　of　sex　selection。　　The　males；
numerous；　varied；　pouring　a　flood　of　energy　into　wide　modifications；
compete　for　the　female；　and　she　selects　the　victor；　this　securing　to　the
race　the　new　improvements。

In　forming　the　proprietary　family　there　is　no　such　competition；　no　such
selection。　　The　man；　by　vi