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spade； harrow； plough； drill； dredge。 We are a protean creature； using
the larger brain power through a wide variety of changing weapons。 This
is one of our main and vital distinctions。 Ancient animal races are
traced and known by mere bones and shells； ancient human races by their
buildings； tools and utensils。
That degree of development which gives us the human mind is a clear
distinction of race。 The savage who can count a hundred is more human
than the savage who can count ten。
More prominent than either of these is the social nature of humanity。
We are by no means the only group…animal； that ancient type of industry
the ant； and even the well…worn bee； are social creatures。 But insects
of their kind are found living alone。 Human beings never。 Our
human…ness begins with some low form of social relation and increases as
that relation develops。
Human life of any sort is dependent upon what Kropotkin calls 〃mutual
aid；〃 and human progress keeps step absolutely with that interchange of
specialized services which makes society organic。 The nomad； living on
cattle as ants live on theirs； is less human than the farmer； raising
food by intelligently applied labor； and the extension of trade and
commerce； from mere village market…places to the world…exchanges of
to…day； is extension of human…ness as well。
Humanity； thus considered； is not a thing made at once and unchangeable；
but a stage of development； and is still； as Wells describes it； 〃in the
making。〃 Our human…ness is seen to lie not so much in what we are
individually； as in our relations to one another； and even that
individuality is but the result of our relations to one another。 It is
in what we do and how we do it； rather than in what we are。 Some；
philosophically inclined； exalt 〃being〃 over 〃doing。〃 To them this
question may be put： 〃Can you mention any form of life that merely 'is；'
without doing anything？〃
Taken separately and physically； we are animals； _genus homo_； taken
socially and psychically； we are； in varying degree； human； and our real
history lies in the development of this human…ness。
Our historic period is not very long。 Real written history only goes
back a few thousand years； beginning with the stone records of ancient
Egypt。 During this period we have had almost universally what is here
called an Androcentric Culture。 The history； such as it was； was made
and written by men。
The mental； the mechanical； the social development； was almost wholly
theirs。 We have； so far； lived and suffered and died in a man…made
world。 So general； so unbroken； has been this condition； that to
mention it arouses no more remark than the statement of a natural law。
We have taken it for granted； since the dawn of civilization； that
〃mankind〃 meant men…kind； and the world was theirs。
Women we have sharply delimited。 Women were a sex； 〃the sex；〃 according
to chivalrous toasts； they were set apart for special services peculiar
to femininity。 As one English scientist put it； in 1888； 〃Women are not
only not the racethey are not even half the race； but a subspecies
told off for reproduction only。〃
This mental attitude toward women is even more clearly expressed by Mr。
H。 B。 Marriot…Watson in his article on 〃The American Woman〃 in the
〃Nineteenth Century〃 for June； 1904； where he says： 〃Her constitutional
restlessness has caused her to abdicate those functions which alone
excuse or explain her existence。〃 This is a peculiarly happy and
condensed expression of the relative position of women during our
androcentric culture。 The man was accepted as the race type without one
dissentient voice； and the womana strange； diverse creature； quite
disharmonious in the accepted scheme of thingswas excused and
explained only as a female。
She has needed volumes of such excuse and explanation； also； apparently；
volumes of abuse and condemnation。 In any library catalogue we may find
books upon books about women： physiological； sentimental； didactic；
religiousall manner of books about women； as such。 Even to…day in the
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；