登陆注册
5241300000039

第39章 CHAPTER 3(14)

As for moral differences, considered as distinguished from intellectual,the distinction commonly drawn is to the advantage of women. They are declaredto be better than men; an empty compliment, which must provoke a bitter smilefrom every woman of spirit, since there is no other situation in life inwhich it is the established order, and considered quite natural and suitable,that the better should obey the worse. If this piece of idle talk is goodfor anything, it is only as an admission by men, of the corrupting influenceof power; for that is certainly the only truth which the fact, if it be afact, either proves or illustrates. And it is true that servitude, exceptwhen it actually brutalises, though corrupting to both, is less so to theslaves than to the slave-masters. It is wholesomer for the moral nature tobe restrained, even by arbitrary power, than to be allowed to exercise arbitrarypower without restraint. Women, it is said, seldomer fall under the penallaw -- contribute a much smaller number of offenders to the criminal calendar,than men. I doubt not that the same thing may be said, with the same truth,of negro slaves. Those who are under the control of others cannot often commitcrimes, unless at the command and for the purposes of their masters. I donot know a more signal instance of the blindness with which the world, includingthe herd of studious men, ignore and pass over all the influences of socialcircumstances, than their silly depreciation of the intellectual, and sillypanegyrics on the moral, nature of women.

The complimentary dictum about women's superior moral goodness may beallowed to pair off with the disparaging one respecting their greater liabilityto moral bias. Women, we are told, are not capable of resisting their personalpartialities: their judgment in grave affairs is warped by their sympathiesand antipathies. Assuming it to be so, it is still to be proved that womenare oftener misled by their personal feelings than men by their personalinterests. The chief difference would seem in that case to be, that men areled from the course of duty and the public interest by their regard for themselves,women (not being allowed to have private interests of their own) by theirregard for somebody else. It is also to be considered, that all the educationwhich women receive from society inculcates on them the feeling that theindividuals connected with them are the only ones to whom they owe any duty-- the only ones whose interest they are called upon to care for; while,as far as education is concerned, they are left strangers even to the elementaryideas which are presupposed in any intelligent regard for larger interestsor higher moral objects. The complaint against them resolves itself merelyinto this, that they fulfil only too faithfully the sole duty which theyare taught, and almost the only one which they are permitted to practise.

The concessions of the privileged to the unprivileged are so seldom broughtabout by any better motive than the power of the unprivileged to extort them,that any arguments against the prerogative of sex are likely to be littleattended to by the generality, as long as they are able to say to themselvesthat women do not complain of it. That fact certainly enables men to retainthe unjust privilege some time longer; but does not render it less unjust.

Exactly the same thing may be said of the women in the harem of an oriental: they do not complain of not being allowed the freedom of European women.

同类推荐
  • TESS OF THE DURBERVILLES

    TESS OF THE DURBERVILLES

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • Tom Swift & his Electric Runabout

    Tom Swift & his Electric Runabout

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 寄刘录事

    寄刘录事

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 田赋考辨

    田赋考辨

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • Misalliance

    Misalliance

    Tarleton, an ordinary young business man of thirty or less, is taking his weekly Friday to Tuesday in the house of his father, John Tarleton, who has made a great deal of money out of Tarleton is Underwear.汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 景景相依

    景景相依

    五年前,她被迫要嫁入北城第一名门霍家。订婚宴上,却被闺蜜冲上台,撕开礼服,露出满身斑驳痕迹。五年后,害得她身败名裂的男人,竟费尽心思欺负她,妄图封杀她。可是,从什么时候起,一切开始完全变了样?她感冒,他嘴上骂着活该,手却不听使唤的亲自给她熬姜汤。她受伤,他嘴上骂着报应,背地里却将伤她的人处理得一干二净。明明想让她来主动求饶,可最后却变成他向她主动求爱。见鬼了!这女人,到底给他下了什么迷药?
  • 王牌暖婚

    王牌暖婚

    她,医界圣手,才貌双全,一朝重生成了他的小妻子。公婆不喜,丈夫不疼,胆小如鼠,软弱可欺。当她成为她,目标就是:撩他,撩他,撩他!一天,她站在他的跟前,一脸促狭:“司少,听说你暗恋我?”司战北抬头看了她一眼,大手一伸,把她捞进怀中:“媳妇儿,我这是明恋。”原来……撩他的结果,就是羊入虎口。
  • 白房子

    白房子

    本书包括:我的心在跳,全世界都能听到;28年前河西走廊刻骨铭心的一幕;我的兵团兄弟;这一次的路途等内容。
  • 鬼吹灯II

    鬼吹灯II

    热播网剧《鬼吹灯之怒晴湘西》改编自本书!生死轮回的千古之迷,,消逝的千百年文明,尘封的古老遗迹,苍茫大地上盘伏着巨龙,守护这一切。大河滔滔、黄沙滚滚,还是沧海桑田,这里到底隐藏着什么?那些埋藏着的生命灵魂徘徊挣扎,永生之门的出口的通道究竟在哪里?一行人意外探索着这一切未知之谜,逐渐揭开隐藏其后的神秘传说。
  • 血腥的盛唐7:盛唐结局是地狱

    血腥的盛唐7:盛唐结局是地狱

    在最鼎盛时期,唐朝经济GDP高达世界总量的六成,领土面积是当今中国的两倍,300多个国家的人们怀着崇敬之心,涌入长安朝圣,2300多名诗人创造了无法逾越的文化盛世;然而事实上,如此繁荣的景象只持续了不到整个朝代一半的时间,大唐王朝的最后近百年间,连年内战,四处硝烟,黄河流域尸横遍野,千里无鸡鸣,万里无狗吠,落日的余辉下,是一望无际的地狱之国。翻开本书,中国历史上最著名的主角们:李渊、李世民、武则天、杨贵妃、唐明皇、李白、安禄山、黄巢……帝王将相,轮番上阵,诗人草寇,粉墨登场,紧锣密鼓,不容喘息,连演数场好戏:一场比一场令人血脉贲张!一场比一场起伏跌宕!一场比一场充满血腥和阴谋!
  • 恶魔的三重打工

    恶魔的三重打工

    诡异的失踪案将高文举这个勤劳的大学生兼职打工仔卷入其中。
  • 妃本纯良:双面夫君杀手妃

    妃本纯良:双面夫君杀手妃

    新文已发《萌宠龟妃:狐王大大请爬开》求支持。一跳跳入蛇窝,某女不由风中凌乱“如玉,即便是死赖,我也要嫁你为妃”!“无耻的人类!”某女微笑,争宠是个技术活,会争宠的娘子才是好娘子--某男微笑“你确定?”"自然确定!“本王喜欢原型入睡,为本王妃者,须夜夜与蛇同眠。本王喜生食,为本王妃者,必欣赏本王的优雅。某女皱眉,欣赏尼玛!那,我不嫁了行不行?某男微笑,卷女子入怀,轻言道。“陌陌,在你赖上我的那一刻,你已逃无可逃。”
  • 香火(中国好小说)

    香火(中国好小说)

    作者从一个产妇的视角出发,记述了自己及身边的亲戚、同病房的产妇的生产故事、人生故事。这些故事有喜有悲,折射出社会人性的多样,人和人命运的多样。
  • 中国通史:双色典藏版

    中国通史:双色典藏版

    《中国通史》全名《自修适用白话本国史》,由吕思勉先生在历年教学讲稿和史学研究的基础上完善而成。全书约55万字,详细地记叙了上起远古时代,下至民国十一年(1922年)华盛顿会议期间的中国历史,是一部完全意义上的中国通史。全书由绪论和五编构成,每一编内又分若干章,并按中国历史社会的变迁化分为:上古、中古、近古、近世、最近世、现代六个不同的时期。本书是吕思勉的史学成名之作,也是中国历史上第一部白话中国通史。它规模宏大,视野开阔,史识丰富,笔调流畅,1923年9月由商务印书馆出版后,曾长期作为大学教材和青年“自修适用”读物,出版后数十年内不断重印再版,是民国时期发行量最大的一部中国通史。
  • 繁星落城:漫若浮光

    繁星落城:漫若浮光

    她本是21世纪医术高超的中医,穿越到古代,竟然带着手机,还能连上WiFi!生活惬意,遇见老乡皇帝?和太子缔结婚约,与他共赴生死,一次意外,过了曼陀罗山,无尽寿命,造灵,布阵,驯兽,信手拈来,一切皆是天道所致。坎坷情路,小三无数,挥手白莲花gameover。回归现代,不见他的身影,难道一切都只是梦?是孤独一生还是与他厮守?本书感谢墨星免费小说封面支持,百度搜索“墨星封面”第一个就是!