A Woman's Philosophy of Woman; or, Woman affranchised.: An answer to Michelet, Proudhon, Girardin, Legouvé, Comte, and other modern innovators — John Shaqi
A Woman's Philosophy of Woman; or, Woman affranchised.: An answer to Michelet, Proudhon, Girardin, Legouvé, Comte, and other modern innovatorsHéricourt, Madame d'
Philosophy
A Woman's Philosophy of Woman; or, Woman affranchised.: An answer to Michelet, Proudhon, Girardin, Legouvé, Comte, and other modern innovators
Héricourt, Madame d'
Women's rights -- France
M. Michelet has evidently amended, as we shall press on him; but as a
spice of vengeance, he pretends that their language has been dictated by
directors, _philosophers and others_. We know some of these ladies
personally, and can assure him that they have had no director of any
kind--quite the contrary.
Is it also in consequence of rancor that the author pretends that woman
loves man, not for his real worth, but because he pleases her, and that
she makes God in her own image, "a God of partiality and caprice, who
saves those who please him?" "In feminine theology," adds Michelet, "God
would say: I love thee because thou art a sinner, because thou hast no
merit; I have no reason to love thee, but it is sweet to me to forgive."
Very well, your sex loves woman _for her real worth_; we never hear a
man, enamored of some unworthy creature, say: "What matters it, I love
her!" Your love is always wise, and given reasonably; none but deserving
women can please you. I ask why so many honest women are abandoned and
unhappy, while so many that are impure and vicious, yet sought and
adored, are in possession of the art of charming, of ruining and of
perverting men?
Michelet deplores the state of divorce which is established between the
sexes; we deplore it likewise; but our complaints do not remedy it. Men
shun marriage from motives that do them no credit: they have at their
pleasure the poor girls whom want places at their mercy; they shun
marriage because they do not wish a real, that is, an autonomous wife at
their side; for themselves, they wish liberty, for their wife, slavery.
On their side, women tend to enfranchisement, which is well for them as
it is for men: they should not suffer themselves to be turned aside from
their pursuit; on the other hand, as men are attracted by a costly
toilette, and neglect plainly dressed women, if the latter, in the wish
to please and retain them, imitate public women, whose is the fault? Is
it ours, who desire to please you and to be loved by you, or yours, who
can only be attracted by dress? If you loved us _for our real worth_, and
not because our dresses and jewels please your eye, we would not ruin
you.
Let us point out in a few lines the contradictions and differences that
are found between Michelet's first and second works.
In both, woman is the flame of love and of the fireside religion,
harmony, poetry, the guardian of the domestic hearth, a housewife whose
cares are ennobled by love: civilization is due to her grace, she should
be the representative of grace if not of beauty.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account