The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1904-08-28
''Man and Woman"
a Study Of Sex

-HE study Of sex relations and DIFF
ferences, only seriously undertaken
by the scientists within very recent
years, has been productive OF re-
suits as pertinent to the science OF So
GEOLOGY as to existing theories Of psy-
chology and anthropology. Not only
do problems of industrialism hang upon
a rational review Of the relation Of sex
to sex, but the whole agitation for an
elevation Of the sphere Of woman and
recognition OF her equality with man
on an intellectual, even a physical
plane, awaits for it's justification the
authoritative deductions Of specialists
in this realm Of scientific endeavor. Au-
thorities unite in agreeing that Have
lock Ellis in his Man and Woman"
published ten years ago, succeeded in
drawing all the lines Of thought in this
field to the most complete and logical
conclusion yet determined upon. His
book, now revised and made to incor-
porate the results of recent experiment,
again comes to the hands Of thinking
men and women.
The chief aim Of Ellis book Is to fix
upon the extent to which sexual differ
ences are artificial, the result Of tradi-
ton and environment, and how far are
they due to actual physical differences
between man and woman. To pave the
way for an analysis Of the question the
author has first to consider the general
physical characteristics of the sexes,
their similarities and differences. bring
ing to bear the evidence of anthropol-
ogy and the tenets Of evolution. This
done, he has yet the field Of natural
and morbid psychology to deal with,
with emphasis upon special questions
Of hypnotic phenomena, emotional al
reliability and the variational tendency.
Throughout the entire course OF his ex-
position the author is careful always
to distinguish between those manifesto
tons of mind and activities OF body
that are the result Of purely functional
processes and those undoubtedly in
duced by acquired customs Of thought
and action.
Civilization acts to eradicate artificial
sexual differences. according to Ellis.
The advance Of society has witnessed
a mingling of the domains Of man and
woman, in the primitive stage so
rigidly prescribed. But, physically, a
woman is a woman and a man a man;
as a consequence a masculine and a
feminine mentality must ever be un-
like, stripped though they might be OF
the artificial traditions OF custom. Be-
cause woman has the weaker body, be-
cause she is less able to defend her
self, ruse and deceit are naturally
attributes Of her mental life. Because
from physical reasons woman's life is
always along the path OF a rhythmic
curve OF physical and psychic variation,
she is variable, always in a change.
Man, on the other hand, from the very
nature of HIS unvarying existence, lacks
the nimbleness Of intellect, the nervous
activity Of resource which we call tact,
that is womans.
Thus does the author carry his in
vestigations down to the fundamental
phenomena Of our psychic life. Broadly.
he concludes that in the scheme OF life
man has shown a greater tendency to
a change Of type than woman, woman
being more prone to remain closer to
the physical and psychic type of child
hood. The alleged inferiority Of woman
to man cannot admit of proof, for the
law of compensation operates to keep
the balance neutral. The hope Of our
future civilization lies in the develop
ment in equal freedom of both the mas
culine and feminine elements in life"
Imported by Charles Scribner's Sons.
New York;