Darwinism stated by Darwin himself: Characteristic passages from the writings of Charles DarwinDarwin, Charles
Science
Darwinism stated by Darwin himself: Characteristic passages from the writings of Charles Darwin
Darwin, Charles
Evolution (Biology)
With respect to differences of this nature between man and woman, it
is probable that sexual selection has played a highly important part.
I am aware that some writers doubt whether there is any such inherent
difference; but this is at least probable from the analogy of the
lower animals which present other secondary sexual characters. No
one disputes that the bull differs in disposition from the cow, the
wild-boar from the sow, the stallion from the mare, and, as is well
known to the keepers of menageries, the males of the larger apes from
the females. Woman seems to differ from man in mental disposition,
chiefly in her greater tenderness and less selfishness; and this holds
good even with savages, as shown by a well-known passage in Mungo
Park’s “Travels,” and by statements made by many other travelers.
Woman, owing to her maternal instincts, displays these qualities toward
her infants in an eminent degree; therefore it is likely that she
would often extend them toward her fellow-creatures. Man is the rival
of other men; he delights in competition, and this leads to ambition
which passes too easily into selfishness. These latter qualities seem
to be his natural and unfortunate birthright. It is generally admitted
that with woman the powers of intuition, of rapid perception, and
perhaps of imitation, are more strongly marked than in man; but some,
at least, of these faculties are characteristic of the lower races, and
therefore of a past and lower state of civilization.
The chief distinction in the intellectual powers of the two sexes is
shown by man’s attaining to a higher eminence, in whatever he takes up,
than can woman--whether requiring deep thought, reason, or imagination,
or merely the use of the senses and hands. If two lists were made of
the most eminent men and women in poetry, painting, sculpture, music
(inclusive both of composition and performance), history, science,
and philosophy, with half a dozen names under each subject, the two
lists would not bear comparison. We may also infer, from the law of
the deviation from averages, so well illustrated by Mr. Galton, in
his work on “Hereditary Genius,” that if men are capable of a decided
pre-eminence over women in many subjects, the average of mental power
in man must be above that of woman.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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