Two contradictory views about the status of women and their abilities and disabilities are entertained by social thinkers. According to one school, the women are feebler in physique than and inferior in intellect to, males, and, hence should be accorded a subordinate place in the society as well as in the family : while the other holds that woman is equal to man in all respects and their apparent inferiority is imposed on them by selfish designs of the opposite sex. According to the latter school, given equal opportunity, woman can make equal contribution to every sphere of human progress. But the sound judgment of an unbiased mind will reject either of these two extreme views and attempt to understand the problem on the scientific principles of psychology and physiology.
The present work by a competent anthropologist who tried to apply anthropology to the sexes is a serious attempt to establish the truth about woman and judge the validity or otherwise of the above mentioned views.
Alexander Walker has attempted to discuss philosophically the moral relations between man and woman on physiological principles. He ha shown that nature, for the preservation of the human species, has conferred on woman a sacred character and given her prompt and infallible instinct as a guide in all her gentle thoughts, her charming words and her beneficent actions, while man has only slow and often erring reason to guide his cold and calculated conduct.
The author has thoroughly analysed the thinking process in woman and made a few important discoveries regarding their head and heart. He has shown that woman sometimes more quickly understands many reasoned statements than man does. He has also proved that the superiority of instinct in woman is connected with the greater development of her vital system and this superiority of instinct affects all her mental operations. The author has gone deep into the causes of many a social evils like polygamy, infidelity, concubinage, prostitution, etc.
Readers may not accept all his conclusions but his efforts and findings will guide them to further research and rational thinking on the problems related to the position of woman. The work is of great importance to the social thinkers and the workers in the field of women’s emancipation all over the world. |
