The thesis sustained by Proudhon is, as we have just seen, contradicted by _science_ and by _facts_. We ask ourselves whether it is possible that he is ignorant of the simplest notions of Anatomy and Biology; we ask ourselves whether it is possible that he is so far blind as not to see that woman _is in reality_ all that he pretends that she _absolutely and judicially_ cannot be in his absurd and insulting theory; and we conclude that the author is struck with ignorance and voluntary blindness. Your reproaches are pleasant; from the origin of society, man has been the master; now, the ancient world sunk beneath the weight of slavery, usury, and the most shameless vices; the modern world seems doomed to perish through inequality and its sad consequences, you yourself acknowledge that injustice _caused by your sex_ exists every where in the world, and you say that man has judicial sense! And, in the face of the inequality and oppression created by men, of their love of puerile distinctions, of the base deeds which they commit for a bit of ribbon, you accuse women of loving inequality and privileges! They may love them, _like you_, but they are better than you, if not more just; they pray for the vanquished, you kill him! I do not deny that women did much harm to the Revolution of February, for they are as intelligent as men, and have great influence over them. But what did this Revolution do for them, I pray? Mark me well, you and all those who are blind enough, proud enough, despotic enough to resemble you, and remember what I say. Woman is like the people: she desires no more of your revolutions, which decimate us for the benefit of a few ambitious babblers. She will have liberty and equality for all men and women, or she will take care that no one shall have them. We, Women of Progress, openly declare ourselves adversaries of whoever shall deny the right of woman to liberty. Our sisters of the people, indignant at their exclusion from the popular assemblies, say to you: you have lured us long enough, it is time that this should end. We will no longer suffer ourselves to be ensnared by your high-sounding words of Justice, Liberty, and Equality, which are only false coin so long as they are applied to but half the human species. Do you wish to save the perishing world? Call woman to your side. If you will not do this, let us alone, insipid phraseologists; you are naught but ambitious hypocrites; we do not wish our husbands to follow you, and they will not. IV. PROUDHON. Let us consider woman in the antithesis. I have said that woman, considered apart from masculine influence, is _nothing_. AUTHOR. Yes, Master, because this is a pure creation of your thought. PROUDHON. But woman, considered under the influence of man, is half of the human being, and _I sing litanies in her praise_.