Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1879-07-16
A XOOlOyical Theory Of the Sexes.

In the current number Of the Popular
Science Monthly, Prof. w. X. Brooks
completes his interesting paper on the
Condition Of Women from a Geological
Point Of View, commenced in June. 1t
was not exactly clear from the first
number what he was driving at, but his
conclusion leaves no doubt upon the
point. His completed argument will
not be altogether palatable to a certain
class of latter-day reIormers; but its
originality and ingenuity make it worth
while to review it. Like most modern
inquiries eff quesi-scientific sort, the
argument is based upon enablyology.
Professor Brooks goes back to the
origin of the animal germ by the union
Of male and female elements. He
considers that all the characters Of the
individual are the result of the opera,
tons of two laws, the law ofsheredity
and the law of variations the one pre-
serving the characters of its ancestors,
and the other introducing new, slight
changes which make the child different
from its parents. Professor Brooks
geological investigations lead him to
conclude that it Is the peculiar func-
ton of the female element in the re-
productive union to preserve the char
acters Of heredity, and Of the male
element to introduce valuable varia-
tons. to improve upon the hereditary
type. Of the facts he educes in sup
port Of this theory, the more obvious
are that in the reproduction OF plants,
in sexual reproduction by buds and
gratis. the product is the same
as the parent form, while in sex
ual PROF. agation by the fertilized
seed it is always different; and
that among animals, the male forms
Of a variety always differ more from
the specific form than the female.
From these and kindred facts be jumps
to the broad generalization that the
function of the masculine mind is to
pursue original trains of abstract
thought, to add to the stock Of human
knowledge and to give rise to new dis
coveries in science, and new creations
in poetry and art. Its main faculty is
the originating or progressive power
which expands the circle of experience,
leads to the more exact apprehension
of relations to the external world, to
the discovery of the laws Of thought, of
society, of physiology, and Of the ma
teriai universe; and Of the bearing Of
these laws upon individual conduct. In
short, the originating or generalizing
function is peculiarly masculine. Prof.
Brooks does not hold that this faculty is
the endowment of most or all men; but
that those who have possessed it in the
highest degree, the great discoveries,
leaders and originators in science, liter
allure, art and industry are men, and
must be, from geological necessity.
The female mind, on the other hand, as
the conservative partner in the intellect
ual firm, is entrusted with the preser-
walton of the result produced by the
activity of masculine thought. 1t is
storehouse filled with the instincts, hab-
it's, intuitions and laws of conduct which
have been gained by the past expert
ence of the race. This is after ali the
largest field of mental usefulness:
for the preservation and prompt ap-
phcation of discoveries and laws is a
constant need. while their oiigination is
comparatively infrequent. In most of
the exigencies Of ordinary life, when the
need is the prompt application of prin-
.ciples already learned, the true appre-
citation of the demands Of the moment,
the power Of quick and right action in
dependent of reflection, women may
be expected to excel men. In word,
mans guide in action is reflection;
woman's, tact and intuition. Man
excels in judgment, slowly formed;
woman in tact and intuition, spontane-
ously exhibited. Man discovers new
truths; woman Utilities old ones.
In his second paper, Professor Brooks
carries the generalization farther and
reaches the conclusion, for which he