Part I.
The natural position of woman is clearly, to a limited degree, a
subordinate one. Such it has always been throughout the world, in all ages,
and in many widely different conditions of society. There are three
conclusive reasons why we should expect it to continue so for the future.
FIRST. Woman in natural physical strength is so greatly inferior to
man that she is entirely in his power, quite incapable of self- defense,
trusting to his generosity for protection. In savage life this great
superiority of physical strength makes man the absolute master, woman
the abject slave. And, although every successive step in civilisation lessens
the distance between the sexes, and renders the situation of woman safer
and easier, still, in no state of society, however highly cultivated, has
perfect equality yet existed. This difference in physical strength must, in
itself, always prevent such perfect equality, since woman is compelled
every day of her life to appeal to man for protection, and for support.
SECONDLY. Woman is also, though in a very much less degree,
inferior to man in intellect. The difference in this particular may very
probably be only a consequence of greater physical strength, giving
greater power of endurance and increase of force to the intellectual faculty
connected with it. In many cases, as between the best individual minds of
both sexes, the difference is no doubt very slight. There have been women
of a very high order of genius; there have been very many women of great
talent; and, as regards what is commonly called cleverness, a general
quickness and clearness of mind within limited bounds, the number of
clever women may possibly have been even larger than that of clever men.
But, taking the one infallible rule for our guide, judging of the tree by its
fruits, we are met by the fact that the greatest achievements of the race in
every field of intellectual culture have been the work of man. It is true that
the advantages of intellectual education have been, until recently, very
generally on the side of man; had those advantages been always equal,
women would no doubt have had much more of success to record.