our androcentric culture-第22章

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difficult　to　see　on　account　of　the　trees。

We　have　so　many　Facts　on　this　subject；　so　many　Opinions；　so　many
Traditions　and　Habits；　and　the　pressure　of　Immediate　Conclusions　is　so
intense　upon　us　all；　that　it　is　not　easy　to　form　a　clear　space　in　one's
mind　and　consider　the　field　fairly。

Possibly　the　present　treatment　of　the　subject　will　appeal　most　to　the
minds　of　those　who　know　least　about　it；　such　as　the　Average　Woman。　　To
her；　Industry　is　a　daylong　and　lifelong　duty；　as　well　as　a　natural
impulse；　and　economics　means　going　without　things。　　To　such　untrained
but　also　unprejudiced　minds　it　should　be　easy　to　show　the　main　facts　on
these　lines。

Let　us　dispose　of　Economics　first；　as　having　a　solemn　scientific
appearance。

Physical　Economics　treats　of　the　internal　affairs　of　the　body；　the　whole
machinery　and　how　it　works；　all　organs；　members；　functions；　each　last
and　littlest　capillary　and　leucocyte；　are　parts　of　that　〃economy。〃

Nature's　〃economy〃　is　not　in　the　least　〃economical。〃　　The　waste　of　life；
the　waste　of　material；　the　waste　of　time　and　effort；　are　prodigious；　yet
she　achieves　her　end　as　we　see。

Domestic　Economics　covers　the　whole　care　and　government　of　the
household；　the　maintenance　of　peace；　health；　order；　and　morality；　the
care　and　nourishment　of　children　as　far　as　done　at　home；　the　entire
management　of　the　home；　as　well　as　the　spending　and　saving　of　money；　are
included　in　it。　　Saving　is　the　least　and　poorest　part　of　it；　especially
as　in　mere　abstinence　from　needed　things；　most　especially　when　this
abstinence　is　mainly　〃Mother's。〃　　How　best　to　spend；　time；　strength；
love；　care；　labor；　knowledge；　and　moneythis　should　be　the　main　study
in　Domestic　Economics。

Social；　or；　as　they　are　used　to　call　it；　Political　Economics；　covers　a
larger；　but　not　essentially　different　field。　　A　family　consists　of
people；　and　the　Mother　is　their　natural　manager。　　Society　consists　of
people_the　same　people_only　more　of　them。　　All　the　people；　who　are
members　of　Society；　are　also　members　of　familiesexcept　some　incubated
orphans　maybe。　　Social　Economics　covers　the　whole　care　and　management　of
the　people；　the　maintenance　of　peace　and　health　and　order　and　morality；
the　care　of　children；　as　far　as　done　out　of　the　home；　as　well　as　the
spending　and　saving　of　the　public　moneyall　these　are　included　in　it。

This　great　business　of　Social　Economics　is　at　present　little　understood
and　most　poorly　managed；　for　this　reason；　we　approach　it　from　an
individual　point　of　view；　seeking　not　so　much　to　do　our　share　in　the
common　service；　as　to　get　our　personal　profit　from　the　common　wealth。　
Where　the　whole　family　labors　together　to　harvest　fruit　and　store　it　for
the　winter；　we　have　legitimate　Domestic　Economics：　but　where　one　member
takes　and　hides　a　lot　for　himself；　to　the　exclusion　of　the　others；　we
have　no　Domestic　Economics　at　allmerely　individual　selfishness。

In　Social　Economics　we　have　a　large；　but　simple　problem。　　Here　is　the
earth；　our　farm。　　Here　are　the　people；　who　own　the　earth。　　How　can　the
most　advantage　to　the　most　people　be　obtained　from　the　earth　with　the
least　labor？　　That　is　the　problem　of　Social　Economics。

Looking　at　the　world　as　if　you　held　it　in　your　hands　to　study　and
discuss；　what　do　we　find　at　present？

We　find　people　living　too　thickly　for　health　and　comfort　in　some　places；
and　too　thinly　for　others；　we　find　most　people　working　too　hard　and　too
long　at　honest　labor；　some　people　working　with　damaging　intensity　at
dishonest　labor；　and　a　few　wretched　paupers　among　the　rich　and　poor；
degenerate　idlers　who　do　not　work　at　all；　the　scum　and　the　dregs　of
Society。

All　this　is　bad　economics。　　We　do　not　get　the　comfort　out　of　life　we
easily　could；　and　work　far　too　hard　for　what　we　do　get。　　Moreover；　there
is　no　peace；　no　settled　security。　　No　man　is　sure　of　his　living；　no
matter　how　hard　he　works；　a　thousand　things　may　occur　to　deprive　him　of
his　job；　or　his　income。　　In　our　time　there　is　great　excitement　along
this　line　of　study；　and　more　than　one　proposition　is　advanced　whereby　we
may　improve；　most　notably　instanced　in　the　world…covering　advance　of
Socialism。

In　our　present　study　the　principal　fact　to　be　exhibited　is　the　influence
of　a　male　culture　upon　Social　Economics　and　Industry。

Industry；　as　a　department　of　Social　Economics；　is　little　understood。　
Heretofore　we　have　viewed　this　field　from　several　wholly　erroneous
positions。　　From　the　Hebrew　（and　wholly　androcentric）　religious
teaching；　we　have　regarded　labor　as　a　curse。

Nothing　could　be　more　absurdly　false。　　Labor　is　not　merely　a　means　of
supporting　human　lifeit　_is_　human　life。　　Imagine　a　race　of　beings
living　without　labor！　　They　must　be　the　rudest　savages。

Human　work　consists　in　specialized　industry　and　the　exchange　of　its
products；　and　without　it　is　no　civilization。　　As　industry　develops；
civilization　develops；　peace　expands；　wealth　increases；　science　and　art
help　on　the　splendid　total。　　Productive　industry；　and　its　concomitant　of
distributive　industry　cover　the　major　field　of　human　life。

If　our　industry　was　normal；　what　should　we　see？

A　world　full　of　healthy；　happy　people；　each　busily　engaged　in　what　he　or
she　most　enjoys　doing。　　Normal　Specialization；　like　all　our　voluntary
processes；　is　accompanied　by　keen　pleasure；　and　any　check　or
interruption　to　it　gives　pain　and　injury。　　Whosoever　works　at　what　he
loves　is　well　and　happy。　　Whoso　works　at　what　he　does　not　love　is　ill
and　miserable。　　It　is　very　bad　economics　to　force　unwilling　industry。　
That　is　the　weakness　of　slave　labor；　and　of　wage　labor　also　where　there
is　not　full　industrial　education　and　freedom　of　choice。

Under　normal　conditions　we　should　see　well　developed；　well　trained
specialists　happily　engaged　in　the　work　they　most　enjoyed；　for
reasonable　hours　（any　work；　or　play　either；　becomes　injurious　if　done
too　long）；　and　as　a　consequence　the　whole　output　of　the　world　would　be
vastly　improved；　not　only　in　quantity　but　in　quality。

Plain　are　the　melancholy　facts　of　what　we　do　see。　　Following　that
pitiful　conception　of　labor　as　a　curse；　comes　the　very　old　and
androcentric　habit　of　despising　it　as　belonging　to　women；　and　then　to
slaves。

As　a　matter　of　fact　industry　is　in　its　origin　feminine；　that　is；
maternal。　　It　is　the　overflowing　fountain　of　mother…love　and
mother…power　which　first　prompts　the　human　race　to　labor；　and　for　long
ages　men　performed　no　productive　industry　at　all；　being　merely　hunters
and　fighters。

It　is　this　lack　of　natural　instinct　for　labor　in　the　male　of　our
species；　together　with　the　ideas　and　opinions　based　on　that　lack；　and
voiced　by　him　in　his　many　writings；　religious　and　other；　which　have
given　to　the　world　its　false　estimate　of　this　great　function；　human
work。　　That　which　is　our　very　life；　our　greatest　joy；　our　road　to　all
advancement；　we　have　scorned　and　oppressed；　so　that　〃working　people；〃
the　〃working　classes；〃　〃having　to　work；〃　etc。；　are　to　this　day　spoken　of
with　contempt。　　Perhaps　drones　speak　so　among　themselves　of　the　〃working
bees！〃

Normally；　widening　out　from　the　mother's　careful　and　generous　service　in
the　family；　to　careful；　generous　service　in　the　world；　we　should　find
labor　freely　given；　with　love　and　pride。

Abnormally；　crushed　under　the　burden　of　androcentric　scorn　and
prejudice；　we　have　labor　grudgingly　produced　under　pressure　of
necessity；　labor　of　slaves　under　fear　of　the　whip；　or　of　wage…slaves；
one　step　higher；　under　fear　of　want。　　Long　ages　wherein　hunting　and
fighting　were　the　only　manly　occupations；　have　left　their　heavy　impress。
　The　predacious　instinct　and　the　combative　instinct　weigh　down　and
disfigure　our　economic　development。　　What　Veblen　calls　〃the　instinct　of
workmanship〃　grows　on；　slowly　and　irresistably；　but　the　malign　features
of　our　industrial　life　are　distinctively　androcentric：　the　desire　to
get；　of　the　hunter；　interfering　with　the　desire　to　give；　of　the　mother；
the　desire　to　overcome　an　antagonistoriginally　masculine；　interfering
with　the　desire　to　serve　and　benefitoriginally　feminine。

Let　the　reader　keep　in　mind　that　as　human　beings；　men　are　able　to
over…live　their　masculine　natures　and　do　noble　service　to　the　world；
also　that　as　human　beings　they　are　today　far　more　highly　developed　than
women；　and　doing　far　more　for　the　world。　　The　point　here　brought　out　is
that　as　males　their　unchecked　supremacy　has　resulted　in　the　abnormal
predominance　of　masculine　impulses　in　our　human　processes；　and　that　this
predominance　has　been　largely　injurious。

As　it　happens；　the　distinctly　feminine　or　maternal　impulses　are　far　more
nearly　in　line　with　human　progress　than　are　those　of　the　male；　which
makes　her　exclusion　from　human　functions　the　more　mischievous。

Our　current　teachings　in　the　infant　science　of　Political　Economy　are
naively　masculine。　　They　assume　as　unquestionable　that　〃the　economic
man〃　will　never　do　anything　unless　he　has　to；　will　only　do　it　to　escape
pain　or　attain　pleasure；　and　will；　inevitably；　take　all　he　can　get；　and
do　all　he　can　to　outwit；　overcome；　and　if　necessary　destroy　his
antagonist。

Always　the　antagonist；　to　the　male　mind　an　antagonist　is　essential　to
progress；　to　all　achievement。　　He　has　planted　that　root…thought　in　all
the　human　world；　from　that　old　hideous　idea　of　Satan；　〃The　Adversary；〃
down　to　the　competitor　in　business；　or　the　boy　at　the　head　of　the　class；
to　be　superseded　by　another。

Therefore；　even　in　science；　〃the　struggle　for　existence〃　is　the　dominant
lawto　the　male　mind；　with　the　〃survival　of　the　fittest〃　and　〃the
elimination　of　the　unfit。〃

Therefore　in　industry　and　economics　we　find　always　and　everywhere　the
antagonist；　the　necessity　for　somebody　or　something　to　be　overcomeelse
why　make　an　effort？　　If　you　have　not　the　incentive　of　reward；　or　the
incentive　of　combat；　why　work？　　〃Competition　is　the　life　of　trade。〃

Thus　the　Economic　Man。

But　how　about　the　Economic　Woman？

To　the　androcentric　mind　she　does　not　exist。　　Women　are　females；　and
that's　all；　their　working　abilities　are　limited　to　personal　service。

That　it　would　be　possible　to　develop　industry　to　far　greater　heights；
and　to　find　in　social　economics　a　simple　and　beneficial　process　for　the
promotion　of　human　life　and　prosperity；　under　any　other　impulse　than
these　two；　Desire　and　Combat；　is　hard　indeed　to　recognizefor　the　〃male
mind。〃

So　absolutely　interwoven　are　our　existing　concepts　of　maleness　and
humanness；　so　sure　are　we　that　men　are　people　and　women　only　females；
that　the　claim　of　equal　weight　and　dignity　in　human　affairs　of　the
feminine　instincts　and　methods　is　scouted　as　absurd。　　We　find　existing
industry　almost　wholly　in　male　hands；　find　it　done　as　men　do　it；　assume
that　that　is　the　way　it　must　be　done。

When　women　suggest　that　it　could　be　done　differently；　their　proposal　is
waved　asidethey　are　〃only　women〃their　ideas　are　〃womanish。〃

Agreed。　　So　are　men　〃only　men；〃　their　ideas　are　〃mannish〃；　and　of　the
two　the　women　are　more　vitally　human　than　the　men。

The　female　is　the　race…typethe　man　the　variant。

The　female；　as　a　race…type；　having　the　female　processes　besides；　best
performs　the　race　processes。　　The　male；　however；　has　with　great
difficulty　developed　them；　always　heavily　h