The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-07-05
The Philosophy of Fcm,p,.m


In the July Forum GroRer RrRMAS
FOSTER, professor Of the philosophy Of
religion In the University of Chicago,
provides or tries to provide THE Phi.
! losophy Of Feminism." OF such prov.
ince. II It he not a world. Of the Beou.
tiful. the Subtle and the Strange. the
science must be fascinating. Surely
divine philosophy must find a worthy
peer In divine phlogyny: and which Is
the more ineligible. the woman or the
philosophy? The Chicago Aristotle he
gins In the dark backward and abysm
or time. lie traces woman, so 10 speak.
from the creation or the cave to Mrs.
| CARRIE GAIT and the moderns. We
should like to inger in the retrospect
while woman was inventing agriculture
ana horticulture and the tyrant man
was miserable mere hunter hut pres
ent duties and problems call:
What. now Ia this new right for which
woman Is striving? The right 10 vote.
VI is that. but II is much more than that.
Woman does not want to vote 50 much
as she thinks she does She will vote,
never fear. but she will find. what men
have found. that. comparatively sneak
ing. voting does not amount to much
The man Within the Law is Of small
moment II the law he not within the
man. But II the law he within the man
and voting cannot put IL there-all is
well. In any event. In this whole matter
woman is preparing great disillusior-
ment for herself as thoughtful men have
been disillusioned Nevertheless. voting
Is ono of the outer signs Of the inner
fact for which she is striving. What,
then. is this fact this new right, which
she is seeking TO achieve?
Very simply. but. as II seems to mo.
very profoundly, she Ia seeking to he a
self-and to he for herself In past
ideals--secular. servlle. aesthetic. angelic.
domestic--she has not heen a self. and
she has not been for herself She has
heen for roaming. or working, or beauty.
or other worldlness. or the home but no,
Tor herself. The new. wonderful. final
step which woman must take Ia to enter
upon the free unfolding Of her personal
ity as an end in itself II IL this most
necessary thing-the arrival at free self
hood. the free devotement 81 independert
personality-that is the big new thing OF
the new day"
The big new thing " the new day"
how Instructive II is TO find philosophy
so simply Chira geese. Women will find |
voting no talsman. II the professor is |
right. she will tire Of II as Of other |
toys. Have voting men arrived at free
selfhood"? Just what Is free self |
hood the free unfolding" Of n per.
sonalityF Has JIM HAM LEWIS got ii.
for instance; The professor is confus.
Ing. Man is primary" he says. But
woman Is preprimary. still. II would he
cruel to our readers to defraud them
Of the professors thoughts and Ian.
gunge. bright and clear as the Chica 60
River in It's hest days:
so far We have only a 'hesi.ating re-
public Of the spirit n precarious intcrstl-
'ial growth where our institutions arc Ia:
at the Joint. Bnt with the impending
woman, We are to have a psychological
II not even n biological. democracy I'm
which for tho first time selfhood cannot
be sold. but the philoprogenitive proclivi-
ties can take their place. along with other
riches. among the spiritual possessions OF
The race. We shall have to
trust life to further life. We shall have
TO let life he the criterion OF life"
Instead Of the depending. the i'm
pending and perpending woman. Pro.
lessor FOSTER is n little slow. The
democracy is already on
view. The biological democracy. no
lonbt the sociological gynocOcracy.
must follow ms the night the day. So.
laving paid your income tax. brethren
md sisters, meekly and duly. You can
urn happily with the Cook county phi.
osopher ito the heightened harmony Of
IN intercurrent selfhood."