D
davidford
Guest
Darwin, Charles. 1871, 1874. The Descent of Man
Chapter 19 – Secondary Sexual Characters of Man
literature.org/authors/darwin-charles/the-descent-of-man/chapter-19.html
What was underlined while reading the Darwin section “Difference in the Mental Powers of the two Sexes” is herein:
Chapter 19 – Secondary Sexual Characters of Man
literature.org/authors/darwin-charles/the-descent-of-man/chapter-19.html
What was underlined while reading the Darwin section “Difference in the Mental Powers of the two Sexes” is herein:
Code:
Man is the rival of other men; he delights in competition,
and this leads to ambition which passes too easily into
selfishness. These latter qualities seem to be his natural
and unfortunate birthright. It is generally admitted that
with woman the powers of intuition, of rapid perception,
and perhaps of imitation, are more strongly marked than
in man; but some, at least, of these faculties are
characteristic of the lower races, and therefore of a past
and lower state of civilisation.
The chief distinction in the intellectual powers of the two
sexes is shewn by man's attaining to a higher eminence,
in whatever he takes up, than can woman-- whether
requiring deep thought, reason, or imagination, or merely
the use of the senses and hands. If two lists were made
of the most eminent men and women in poetry, painting,
sculpture, music (inclusive both of composition and
performance), history, science, and philosophy, with half-
a-dozen names under each subject, the two lists would
not bear comparison. We may also infer, from the law of
the deviation from averages, so well illustrated by Mr.
Galton, in his work on _Hereditary Genius_, that if men
are capable of a decided pre-eminence over women in
many subjects, the average of mental power in man must
be above that of woman.
Amongst the half-human progenitors of man, and
amongst savages, there have been struggles between
the males during many generations for the possession of
the females. But mere bodily strength and size would do
little for victory, unless associated with courage,
perseverance, and determined energy.
==
the older males have to retain their females by renewed
battles.
==
the higher mental faculties, namely, observation, reason,
invention, or imagination. These various faculties will
thus have been continually put to the test and selected
during manhood; they will, moreover, have been
strengthened by use during this same period of life.
Consequently in accordance with the principle often
alluded to, we might expect that they would at least tend
to be transmitted chiefly to the male offspring at the
corresponding period of manhood.
==
sexual selection,-- that is, through the contest of rival
males, and partly through natural selection, that is, from
success in the general struggle for life; and as in both
cases the struggle will have been during maturity, the
characters gained will have been transmitted more fully to
the male than to the female offspring. It accords in a
striking manner with this view of the modification and re-
inforcement of many of our mental faculties by sexual
selection, that, firstly, they notoriously undergo a
considerable change at puberty,*(2) and, secondly, that
eunuchs remain throughout life inferior in these same
qualities. Thus, man has ultimately become superior to
woman. It is, indeed, fortunate that the law of the equal
transmission of characters to both sexes prevails with
mammals; otherwise, it is probable that man would have
become as superior in mental endowment to woman, as
the peacock is in ornamental plumage to the peahen.
==
"The things in which man most excels woman are those
which require most plodding, and long hammering at
single thoughts." What is this but energy and
perseverance?
==
the present inequality in mental power between the sexes
