PROUDHON. It is logical. But I conclude, on the contrary, that woman has no need of liberty; that this condition _sine qua non_ of existence for our species, does not regard one half of the species; that man alone cannot exist without liberty, _because he is the stronger_. AUTHOR. A contradiction, Master. PROUDHON. "Equality is an absolute right, _because without equality, there is no society_."--_Id._ AUTHOR. Now, woman is a human and social being; she has an absolute right, therefore, to this equality, without which she would be but a Pariah in society. PROUDHON. It is logical. But I nevertheless conclude from this that woman has no more right to equality than to liberty. That, although of the same species as man, and consequently amenable to the law of equality, nevertheless she is not amenable to it, and should be unequal and in subjection to man, _because he is the stronger_. AUTHOR. Fie, Master! To contradict yourself thus is disgraceful to your reputation. It would be better to maintain that woman has not the same rights as man, because she is of a different species. PROUDHON. Woman is bound to feel that she does not possess a dignity equal to that of man; in the association formed between them to produce justice, _the notions of right and duty shall be no longer correlative_. Man shall have all rights, and shall accept only such duties as it shall please him to recognize. AUTHOR. Reflect that man, after having denied the dignity and the right of woman, will labor to stultify her more and more in the interest of his despotism! PROUDHON. That does not concern me: the family should be immured: the husband is priest and king therein. If, as in the case with all liberty oppressed, the woman grows restive, we will tell her _that she does not know herself, that she is incapable of judging and ruling herself_; that she is a cypher; we will outrage her in her moral worth; we will deny her intellect and activity: and by dint of intimidating her, we will succeed in forcing her to be silent: for man must remain master, _since he is the stronger_! AUTHOR. Deny and insult us, Master, this does us no harm: the lords of the Middle Age employed this method with their serfs, your sires ... we are now indignant at them. Slaveholders employed and still employ this method with the blacks, and the civilized world is indignant at them, slavery is restricted, and is on the way to disappear. Meanwhile, I point out your contradictions to my readers; your authority over minds will be thereby lessened, I hope.