SEX AND SOCIETY 213 



differences between the members of a species ; 

 some of these can be shown to be due to pecu- 

 liarities in the individual's " nurture " (food, 

 atmosphere, surroundings, education, exercise, 

 habits, etc.); and it is only when we subtract 

 all these acquired modifications from the 

 observed differences that we get at the inborn 

 variations, the germinal new departures, 

 which are the raw materials of evolution, 

 and the basis of what we call individuality. 



Now it must be noted that the majority 

 of even the current comparisons of men and 

 women are vitiated by ignoring this familiar 

 biological distinction. Woman is set up 

 against man, or man against woman, to the 

 disadvantage of one or the other, without 

 inquiring whether the opportunities of develop- 

 ment, i. e. expression of the inheritance, have 

 been approximately equal. It is of the very 

 A B C of embryology that inherited char- 

 acters require a succession of appropriate 

 liberating stimuli if they are to develop. If 

 these stimuli are supplied to boy and youth; 

 and denied to girl and maiden, no scientific 

 comparison of innate ability is possible. It 

 is obviously incumbent on inquirers to try to 

 discriminate, in comparing Man and Woman, 

 between the innate qualities of maleness 

 and femaleness, masculinity and feminity, all 

 requiring appropriate liberating stimuli, and 

 those which are individually acquired as the 

 direct result of peculiarities of "nurture." 

 Along with these must be included the defects 

 that are due to disuse, or to the absence of 

 appropriate stimuli. 



