按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
f averages are almost always wrong； either because they appear too high or too low； the mistake is not more than half a mistake。 If in a series of numbers the lowest was 4； the highest 12； and the average 8； and if I take the latter for the individual problem； I can at most have been mistaken about four； never about eight； as would have been the case if I had taken 4 or 12 for each other。 The attitude of the people gives us an average and we may at least assume that it would not have maintained itself； either as common law or as proverb； if centuries had not shown that the mistake involved was not a very great one。
In any event； the popular method was comparatively simple。 No delicate distinctions were developed。 A general norm of valuation was applied to woman and the result showed that woman is simply a less worthy creature。 This conception we find very early in the history of the most civilized peoples； as well as among contemporary backward nations and tribes。 If； now； we generally assume that the culture of a people and the position of its women have the same measure； it follows only that increasing education revealed that the simple assumption of the inferiority of woman was not correct； that the essential difference in psyche between man and woman could not be determined； and that even today； the old conception half unconsciously exercises an influence on our valuation of woman； when in any respect we are required to judge her。 Hence； we are in no wise interested in the degree of subordination of woman among savage and half…savage peoples； but； on the other hand； it is not indifferent for us to know what the situation was among peoples and times who have influenced our own culture。 Let us review the situation hastily。
A number of classical instances which are brought together by Fink＇1＇ and Smith；＇2＇ show how little the classic Greek thought of woman； and W。 Becker＇3＇ estimates as most important the fact that the Greek always gave precedence to children and said； 。'' The Greek naturalists； Hippocrates and Aristotle； modestly held woman to be half human； and even the poet Homer is not free from this point of view （cf。 the advice of Agamemnon to Odysseus）。 Moreover； he speaks mostly concerning the scan… dalmongering and lying of women； while later； Euripides directly reduces the status of women to the minimum （cf。 Iphigenia）。
＇1＇ Romantic Love and Personal Beauty。 H。 Fink。 London 1887。
＇2＇ Dictionary of Christian Antiquities。
＇3＇ Bilder altgriechischer Sitte。
The attention of ancient Rome is always directed upon the puzzling； sphinx…like； unharmonious qualities in woman。 Horace gives it the clearest expression； e。 g。； ‘‘Desinite in piscem mulier formosa superne。''
The Orientals have not done any better for us。 The Chinese assert that women have no souls。 The Mohammedan believes that women are denied entrance to paradise； and the Koran （xliii； 17） defines the woman as a creature which grows up on a soil of finery and baubles； and is always ready to nag。 How well such an opinion has sustained itself； is shown by the Ottomanic Codex 355； according to which the testimony of two women is worth as much as the testimony of one man。 But even so； the Koran has a higher opinion of women than the early church fathers。 The problem； ‘‘An mulier habeas animam；'' was often debated at the councils。 One of them； that of Macon； dealt earnestly with the MS。 of Acidalius； ‘‘Mulieres homines non esse。'' At another； women were forbidden to touch the Eucharist with bare hands。 This attitude is implied by the content of countless numbers of evil proverbs which deal with the inferior character of woman； and certainly by the circumstance that so great a number of women were held to be witches； of whom about 100；000 were burned in Germany alone。 The statutes dealt with women only in so far as their trustworthiness as witnesses could be depreciated。 The Bambergensis （Art。 76）； for example； permits the admission of young persons and women only in special cases； and the quarrels of the older lawyers concerning the value of feminine testimony is shown by Mittermaier。＇1＇
＇1＇ Die Lehre vom Beweise。 Darmstadt。
If we discount Tacitus' testimony concerning the high status of women among the Germanic tribes on the basis that he aimed at shaming and reforming his countrymen； we have a long series of assertions； beginning with that of the Norseman Havam