The Sexes in Science and History: An inquiry into the dogma of woman's inferiority to man — John Shaqi
The Sexes in Science and History: An inquiry into the dogma of woman's inferiority to manGamble, Eliza Burt
Philosophy
The Sexes in Science and History: An inquiry into the dogma of woman's inferiority to man
Gamble, Eliza Burt
Sex; Women -- History; Women -- Social conditions
Among the reasons urged by Mr. Darwin to account for the excess of
women over men in all “old-settled” countries, is that of the exposure
of grown men to various dangers, and their tendency to emigrate.
Doubtless there is more emigration among men than among women, still
men do not usually emigrate to a wilderness and rarely to sparsely
settled countries. When men emigrate from one civilized country, they
usually go to another civilized country; yet in all old-settled
countries women are in excess of men. While the dangers to which men
are exposed because of their greater physical activity have been many,
and the accidents liable to occur from their harder struggle for
existence more numerous than those to which women have been subjected,
still it would seem that the danger to female life, incident to the
artificial relations of the sexes under our present semi-civilized
conditions, is more than an offset for that to which men are liable.
The fact must be borne in mind, however, that the diseases and
physical disabilities of women, at the present time, although
dangerous to health and life, are not organic, and will therefore
disappear as soon as through higher conditions they are allowed the
free expression of their own will in matters pertaining to the sexual
relation. As the diseases peculiar to the female constitution are not
caused by structural defects, but, on the contrary, are due to the
overstimulation of the animal instincts in her male mate, or, to the
disparity between her stage of development and his, they have not
materially injured her constitution nor shortened her average duration
of life, neither have they lessened her capacity for improvement.
With reference to the women of Greenland, Cranz says that while they
remain with their parents they are well off; but from twenty years of
age till death, their life is one series of anxieties, wretchedness,
and toil, yet, in spite of all their cares, toils, and vexations the
women commonly arrive at a greater age than the men.[36]
[36] _History of Greenland_, vol. i., p. 152.
That the imperfections of the male organism are already beginning
to interpose themselves between man and many of the occupations and
activities of advancing civilization, is only too apparent.
Sight, far more than any other sense, is the most intellectual,
yet in the development of the visual organs it has been proved
that men are especially deficient. Dr. Andrew Willson assures us
that “colour-blindness is a condition which is certainly capable
of transmission to the progeny. In one family the males alone were
affected through seven generations.”
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