a vindication of the rights of woman-第4章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


　of　sentiment；　and　refinement　of　taste；　are　almost　synonymous　with　epithets　of　weakness；　and　that　those　beings　who　are　only　the　objects　of　pity　and　that　kind　of　love；　which　has　been　termed　its　sister；　will　soon　become　objects　of　contempt。　Dismissing　then　those　pretty　feminine　phrases；　which　the　men　condescendingly　use　to　soften　our　slavish　dependence；　and　despising　that　weak　elegancy　of　mind；　exquisite　sensibility；　and　sweet　docility　of　manners；　supposed　to　be　the　sexual　characteristics　of　the　weaker　vessel；　I　wish　to　show　that　elegance　is　inferior　to　virtue；　that　the　first　object　of　laudable　ambition　is　to　obtain　a　character　as　a　human　being；　regardless　of　the　distinction　of　sex；　and　that　secondary　views　should　be　brought　to　this　simple　touchstone。　This　is　a　rough　sketch　of　my　plan；　and　should　I　express　my　conviction　with　the　energetic　emotions　that　I　feel　whenever　I　think　of　the　subject；　the　dictates　of　experience　and　reflection　will　be　felt　by　some　of　my　readers。　　Animated　by　this　important　object；　I　shall　disdain　to　cull　my　phrases　or　polish　my　styleI　aim　at　being　useful；　and　sincerity　will　render　me　unaffected；　for　wishing　rather　to　persuade　by　the　force　of　my　arguments；　than　dazzle　by　the　elegance　of　my　language；　I　shall　not　waste　my　time　in　rounding　periods；　nor　in　fabricating　the　turgid　bombast　of　artificial　feelings；　which；　coming　from　the　head；　never　reach　the　heart。　　I　shall　be　employed　about　things；　not　words！　and；　anxious　to　render　my　sex　more　respectable　members　of　society；　I　shall　try　to　avoid　that　flowery　diction　which　has　slided　from　essays　into　novels；　and　from　novels　into　familiar　letters　and　conversation。　These　pretty　nothings；　these　caricatures　of　the　real　beauty　of　sensibility；　dropping　glibly　from　the　tongue；　vitiate　the　taste；　and　create　a　kind　of　sickly　delicacy　that　turns　away　from　simple　unadorned　truth；　and　a　deluge　of　false　sentiments　and　over…stretched　feelings；　stifling　the　natural　emotions　of　the　heart；　render　the　domestic　pleasures　insipid；　that　ought　to　sweeten　the　exercise　of　those　severe　duties；　which　educate　a　rational　and　immortal　being　for　a　nobler　field　of　action。　The　education　of　women　has；　of　late；　been　more　attended　to　than　formerly；　yet　they　are　still　reckoned　a　frivolous　sex；　and　ridiculed　or　pitied　by　the　writers　who　endeavour　by　satire　or　instruction　to　improve　them。　　It　is　acknowledged　that　they　spend　many　of　the　first　years　of　their　lives　in　acquiring　a　smattering　of　accomplishments：　　meanwhile；　strength　of　body　and　mind　are　sacrificed　to　libertine　notions　of　beauty；　to　the　desire　of　establishing　themselves；　the　only　way　women　can　rise　in　the　worldby　marriage。　　And　this　desire　making　mere　animals　of　them；　when　they　marry；　they　act　as　such　children　may　be　expected　to　act：　they　dress；　they　paint；　and　nickname　God's　creatures。　　Surely　these　weak　beings　are　only　fit　for　the　seraglio！　　Can　they　govern　a　family；　or　take　care　of　the　poor　babes　whom　they　bring　into　the　world？　If　then　it　can　be　fairly　deduced　from　the　present　conduct　of　the　sex；　from　the　prevalent　fondness　for　pleasure；　which　takes　place　of　ambition　and　those　nobler　passions　that　open　and　enlarge　the　soul；　that　the　instruction　which　women　have　received　has　only　tended；　with　the　constitution　of　civil　society；　to　render　them　insignificant　objects　of　desire；　mere　propagators　of　fools！　if　it　can　be　proved；　that　in　aiming　to　accomplish　them；　without　cultivating　their　understandings；　they　are　taken　out　of　their　sphere　of　duties；　and　made　ridiculous　and　useless　when　the　short　lived　bloom　of　beauty　is　over*；　I　presume　that　RATIONAL　men　will　excuse　me　for　endeavouring　to　persuade　them　to　become　more　masculine　and　respectable。　（*Footnote。　　A　lively　writer；　I　cannot　recollect　his　name；　asks　what　business　women　turned　of　forty　have　to　do　in　the　world。）　Indeed　the　word　masculine　is　only　a　bugbear：　　there　is　little　reason　to　fear　that　women　will　acquire　too　much　courage　or　fortitude；　for　their　apparent　inferiority　with　respect　to　bodily　strength；　must　render　them；　in　some　degree；　dependent　on　men　in　the　various　relations　of　life；　but　why　should　it　be　increased　by　prejudices　that　give　a　sex　to　virtue；　and　confound　simple　truths　with　sensual　reveries？　Women　are；　in　fact；　so　much　degraded　by　mistaken　notions　of　female　excellence；　that　I　do　not　mean　to　add　a　paradox　when　I　assert；　that　this　artificial　weakness　produces　a　propensity　to　tyrannize；　and　gives　birth　to　cunning；　the　natural　opponent　of　strength；　which　leads　them　to　play　off　those　contemptible　infantile　airs　that　undermine　esteem　even　whilst　they　excite　desire。　　Do　not　foster　these　prejudices；　and　they　will　naturally　fall　into　their　subordinate；　yet　respectable　station　in　life。　It　seems　scarcely　necessary　to　say；　that　I　now　speak　of　the　sex　in　general。　　Many　individuals　have　more　sense　than　their　male　relatives；　and；　as　nothing　preponderates　where　there　is　a　constant　struggle　for　an　equilibrium；　without　it　has　naturally　more　gravity；　some　women　govern　their　husbands　without　degrading　themselves；　because　intellect　will　always　govern。



VINDICATION　OF　THE　RIGHTS　OF　WOMAN

CHAPTER　1。　THE　RIGHTS　AND　INVOLVED　DUTIES　OF　MANKIND　CONSIDERED。　In　the　present　state　of　society；　it　appears　necessary　to　go　back　to　first　principles　in　search　of　the　most　simple　truths；　and　to　dispute　with　some　prevailing　prejudice　every　inch　of　ground。　　To　clear　my　way；　I　must　be　allowed　to　ask　some　plain　questions；　and　the　answers　will　probably　appear　as　unequivocal　as　the　axioms　on　which　reasoning　is　built；　though；　when　entangled　with　various　motives　of　action；　they　are　formally　contradicted；　either　by　the　words　or　conduct　of　men。　In　what　does　man's　pre…eminence　over　the　brute　creation　consist？　The　answer　is　as　clear　as　that　a　half　is　less　than　the　whole；　in　Reason。　What　acquirement　exalts　one　being　above　another？　　Virtue；　we　spontaneously　reply。　For　what　purpose　were　the　passions　implanted？　　That　man　by　struggling　with　them　might　attain　a　degree　of　knowledge　denied　to　the　brutes：　　whispers　Experience。　Consequently　the　perfection　of　our　nature　and　capability　of　happiness；　must　be　estimated　by　the　degree　of　reason；　virtue；　and　knowledge；　that　distinguish　the　individual；　and　direct　the　laws　which　bind　society：　　and　that　from　the　exercise　of　reason；　knowledge　and　virtue　naturally　flow；　is　equally　undeniable；　if　mankind　be　viewed　collectively。　The　rights　and　duties　of　man　thus　simplified；　it　seems　almost　impertinent　to　attempt　to　illustrate　truths　that　appear　so　incontrovertible：　　yet　such　deeply　rooted　prejudices　have　clouded　reason；　and　such　spurious　qualities　have　assumed　the　name　of　virtues；　that　it　is　necessary　to　pursue　the　course　of　reason　as　it　has　been　perplexed　and　involved　in　error；　by　various　adventitious　circumstances；　comparing　the　simple　axiom　with　casual　deviations。　Men；　in　general；　seem　to　employ　their　reason　to　justify　prejudices；　which　they　have　imbibed；　they　cannot　trace　how；　rather　than　to　root　them　out。　　The　mind　must　be　strong　that　resolutely　forms　its　own　principles；　for　a　kind　of　intellectual　cowardice　prevails　which　makes　many　men　shrink　from　the　task；　or　only　do　it　by　halves。　　Yet　the　imperfect　conclusions　thus　drawn；　are　frequently　very　plausible；　because　they　are　built　on　partial　experience；　on　just；　though　narrow；　views。　Going　back　to　first　principles；　vice　skulks；　with　all　its　native　deformity；　from　close　investigation；　but　a　set　of　shallow　reasoners　are　always　exclaiming　that　these　arguments　prove　too　much；　and　that　a　measure　rotten　at　the　core　may　be　expedient。　　Thus　expediency　is　continually　contrasted　with　simple　principles；　till　truth　is　lost　in　a　mist　of　words；　virtue　in　forms；　and　knowledge　rendered　a　sounding　nothing；　by　the　specious　prejudices　that　assume　its　name。　That　the　society　is　formed　in　the　wisest　manner；　whose　constitution　is　founded　on　the　nature　of　man；　strikes；　in　the　abstract；　every　thinking　being　so　forcibly；　that　it　looks　like　presumption　to　endeavour　to　bring　forward　proofs；　though　proof　must　be　brought；　or　the　strong　hold　of　prescription　will　never　be　forced　by　reason；　yet　to　urge　prescription　as　an　argument　to　justify　the　depriving　men　（or　women）　of　their　natural　rights；　is　one　of　the　absurd　sophisms　which　daily　insult　common　sense。　The　civilization　of　the　bulk　of　the　people　of　Europe；　is　very　partial；　nay；　it　may　be　made　a　question；　whether　they　have　acquired　any　virtues　in　exchange　for　innocence；　equivalent　to　the　misery　produced　by　the　vices　that　have　been　plastered　over　unsightly　ignorance；　and　the　freedom　which　has　been　bartered　for　splendid　slavery。　　The　desire　of　dazzling　by　riches；　the　most　certain　pre…eminence　that　man　can　obtain；　the　pleasure　of　commanding　flattering　sycophants；　and　many　other　complicated　low　calculations　of　doting　self…love；　have　all　contributed　to　overwhelm　the　mass　of　mankind；　and　make　liberty　a　convenient　handle　for　mock　patriotism。　For　whilst　rank　and　titles　are　held　of　the　utmost　importance；　before　which　Genius　〃must　hide　its　diminished　head；〃　it　is；　with　a　few　exceptions；　very　unfortunate　for　a　nation　when　a　man　of　abilities；　without　rank　or　property；　pushes　himself　forward　to　notice。　　Alas！　what　unheard　of　misery　have　thousands　suffered　to　purchase　a　cardinal's　hat　for　an　intriguing　obscure　adventurer；　who　longed　to　be　ranked