Volume 9 Number 8 



The Plant World 



AUGUST, 1906 



THE GYN^COCENTRIC THEORY AND THE SEXES IN 



PLANTS. 



Bv Professor Bruce Fink, 

 lozva College. 



Almost as soon as issued from the press in 1903, a copy of 

 Lester F. Ward's " Pure Sociology " fell into the hands of the 

 writer and was eagerly read. Among many things of special 

 interest, the gyniccocentric theory attracted his attention as be- 

 ing a departure from generally accepted views regarding the 

 development and the social relations of the sexes. It was the 

 intention at the time of reading to formulate a protest against 

 certain views expressed, but other things were absorbing atten- 

 tion, and the matter was dropped for the time. On seeing the 

 article by Mr. Ward in " The Independent " for March 8, 1906, 

 bearing on the same problem, and the replies two weeks later by 

 G. Stanley Hall, E. B. Wilson and Clark Wissler, the whole 

 matter was again brought to mind. 



That the writer of " Pure Sociology " has made a strong argu- 

 ment for his gynaecocentric theory is apparent, and no one can 

 doubt, after reading his chapter, that the female sex has, per- 

 haps, played the more important role in the evolution of those 

 complicated sociological conditions found among civilized peo- 

 ples ; but in discussing his theory, beginning with protoplasm, 

 Mr. Ward has made some very obvious errors in the presentation 

 of biological principles, and has failed to elaborate certain facts 

 which, to the mind of a botanist, are well worth stating for the 



