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most advantage to the most people be obtained from the earth with the
least labor？ That is the problem of Social Economics。
Looking at the world as if you held it in your hands to study and
discuss； what do we find at present？
We find people living too thickly for health and comfort in some places；
and too thinly for others； we find most people working too hard and too
long at honest labor； some people working with damaging intensity at
dishonest labor； and a few wretched paupers among the rich and poor；
degenerate idlers who do not work at all； the scum and the dregs of
Society。
All this is bad economics。 We do not get the comfort out of life we
easily could； and work far too hard for what we do get。 Moreover； there
is no peace； no settled security。 No man is sure of his living； no
matter how hard he works； a thousand things may occur to deprive him of
his job； or his income。 In our time there is great excitement along
this line of study； and more than one proposition is advanced whereby we
may improve； most notably instanced in the world…covering advance of
Socialism。
In our present study the principal fact to be exhibited is the influence
of a male culture upon Social Economics and Industry。
Industry； as a department of Social Economics； is little understood。
Heretofore we have viewed this field from several wholly erroneous
positions。 From the Hebrew （and wholly androcentric） religious
teaching； we have regarded labor as a curse。
Nothing could be more absurdly false。 Labor is not merely a means of
supporting human lifeit _is_ human life。 Imagine a race of beings
living without labor！ They must be the rudest savages。
Human work consists in specialized industry and the exchange of its
products； and without it is no civilization。 As industry develops；
civilization develops； peace expands； wealth increases； science and art
help on the splendid total。 Productive industry； and its concomitant of
distributive industry cover the major field of human life。
If our industry was normal； what should we see？
A world full of healthy； happy people； each busily engaged in what he or
she most enjoys doing。 Normal Specialization； like all our voluntary
processes； is accompanied by keen pleasure； and any check or
interruption to it gives pain and injury。 Whosoever works at what he
loves is well and happy。 Whoso works at what he does not love is ill
and miserable。 It is very bad economics to force unwilling industry。
That is the weakness of slave labor； and of wage labor also where there
is not full industrial education and freedom of choice。
Under normal conditions we should see well developed； well trained
specialists happily engaged in the work they most enjoyed； for
reasonable hours （any work； or play either； becomes injurious if done
too long）； and as a consequence the whole output of the world would be
vastly improved； not only in quantity but in quality。
Plain are the melancholy facts of what we do see。 Following that
pitiful conception of labor as a curse； comes the very old and
androcentric habit of despising it as belonging to women； and then to
slaves。
As a matter of fact industry is in its origin feminine； that is；
maternal。 It is the overflowing fountain of mother…love and
mother…power which first prompts the human race to labor； and for long
ages men performed no productive industry at all； being merely hunters
and fighters。
It is this lack of natural instinct for labor in the male of our
species； together with the ideas and opinions based on that lack； and
voiced by him in his many writings； religious and other； which have
given to the world its false estimate of this great function； human
work。 That which is our very life； our greatest joy； our road to all
advancement； we have scorned and oppressed； so that 〃working people；〃
the 〃working classes；〃 〃having to work；〃 etc。； are to this day spoken of
with contempt。 Perhaps drones speak so among themselves of the 〃working
bees！〃
Normally； widening out from the mother's careful and generous service in
the family； to careful； generous service in the world； we should find
labor freely given； with love and pride。
Abnormally； crushed under the burden of androcentric scorn and
prejudice； we have labor grudgingly produced under pressure of
necessity； labor of slaves under fear of the whip； or of wage…slaves；
one step higher； under fear of want。 Long ages wherein hunting and
fighting were the only manly occupations； have left their heavy impress。
The predacious instinct and the combative instinct weigh down and
disfigure our economic development。 What Veblen calls 〃the instinct of
workmanship〃 grows on； slowly and irresistably； but the malign features
of our industrial life are distinctively androcentric： the desire to
get； of the hunter； interfering with the desire to give； of the mother；
the desire to overcome an antagonistoriginally masculine； interfering
with the desire to serve and benefitoriginally feminine。
Let the reader keep in mind that as human beings； men are able to
over…live their masculine natures and do noble service to the world；
also that as human beings they are today far more highly developed than
women； and doing far more for the world。 The point here brought out is
that as males their unchecked supremacy has resulted in the abnormal
predominance of masculine impulses in our human processes； and that this
predominance has been largely injurious。
As it happens； the distinctly feminine or maternal impulses are far more
nearly in line with human progress than are those of the male； which
makes her exclusion from human functions the more mischievous。
Our current teachings in the infant science of Political Economy are
naively masculine。 They assume as unquestionable that 〃the economic
man〃 will never do anything unless he has to； will only do it to escape
pain or attain pleasure； and will； inevitably； take all he can get； and
do all he can to outwit； overcome； and if necessary destroy his
antagonist。
Always the antagonist； to the male mind an antagonist is essential to
progress； to all achievement。 He has planted that root…thought in all
the human world； from that old hideous idea of Satan； 〃The Adversary；〃
down to the competitor in business； or the boy at the head of the class；
to be superseded by another。
Therefore； even in science； 〃the struggle for existence〃 is the dominant
lawto the male mind； with the 〃survival of the fittest〃 and 〃the
elimination of the unfit。〃
Therefore in industry and economics we find always and everywhere the
antagonist； the necessity for somebody or something to be overcomeelse
why make an effort？ If you have not the incentive of reward； or the
incentive of combat； why work？ 〃Competition is the life of trade。〃
Thus the Economic Man。
But how about the Economic Woman？
To the androcentric mind she does not exist。 Women are females； and
that's all； their working abilities are limited to personal service。
That it would be possible to develop industry to far greater heights；
and to find in social economics a simple and beneficial process for the
promotion of human life and prosperity； under any other impulse than
these two； Desire and Combat； is hard indeed to recognizefor the 〃male
mind。〃
So absolutely interwoven are our existing concepts of maleness and
humanness； so sure are we that men are people and women only females；
that the claim of equal weight and dignity in human affairs of the
feminine instincts and methods is scouted as absurd。 We find existing
industry almost wholly in male hands； find it done as men do it； assume
that that is the way it must be done。
When women suggest that it could be done differently； their proposal is
waved asidethey are 〃only women〃their ideas are 〃womanish。〃
Agreed。 So are men 〃only men；〃 their ideas are 〃mannish〃； and of the
two the women are more vitally human than the men。
The female is the race…typethe man the variant。
The female； as a race…type； having the female processes besides； best
performs the race processes。 The male； however； has with great
difficulty developed them； always heavily handicapped by his maleness；
being in origin essentially a creature of sex； and so dominated almost
exclusively by sex impulses。
The human instinct of mutual service is checked by the masculine
instinct of combat； the human tendency to specialize in labor； to
rejoicingly pour force in lines of specialized expression； is checked by
the predacious instinct； which will exert itself for reward； and
disfigured by the masculine instinct of self…expression； which is an
entirely different thing from the great human outpouring of world force。
Great men； the world's teachers and leaders； are great in humanness；
mere maleness does not make for greatness unless it be in warfarea
disadvantageous glory！ Great women also must be great in humanness； but
their female instincts are not so subversive of human progress as are
the instincts of the male。 To be a teacher and leader； to love and
serve； to guard and guide and help； are well in line with motherhood。
〃Are they not also in line with fatherhood？〃 will be a