The Man-Made World; or, Our Androcentric Culture by Charlotte Perkins Gilman
page 123 of 169 (72%)
page 123 of 169 (72%)
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From present day experience we might add, 3. Politics, practical; The
art of organizing and handling men in large numbers, manipulating votes, and, in especial, appropriating public wealth. We can easily see that the "science of government" may be divided into "pure" and "applied" like other sciences, but that it is "a part of ethics" will be news to many minds. Yet why not? Ethics is the science of conduct, and politics is merely one field of conduct; a very common one. Its connection with Warfare in this chapter is perfectly legitimate in view of the history of politics on the one hand, and the imperative modern issues which are to-day opposed to this established combination. There are many to-day who hold that politics need not be at all connected with warfare, and others who hold that politics is warfare front start to finish. In order to dissociate the two ideas completely let us give a paraphrase of the above definition, applying it to domestic management;--that part of ethics which has to do with the regulation and government of a family; the preservation of its safety, peace and prosperity; the defense of its existence and rights against any strangers' interference or control; the augmentation of its strength and resources, and the protection of its members in their rights; with the preservation and improvement of their morals. All this is simple enough, and in no way masculine; neither is it feminine, save in this; that the tendency to care for, defend and manage a group, is in its origin maternal. |
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