DARWINISM AND POLITICS. 73 



tion of separate sorts of virtues and separate 

 ideals of duty in men and women has led to 

 the whole social fabric beingf weaker and in\- 

 healthier than it need be. 



The history of the position of women is 

 much more complex than is often represented. 

 It is not true to say that the status of women 

 has always improved in direct ratio to the 

 general advance. The patriarchal stage repre- 

 sents on the whole a higher type of civilisation 

 than the matriarchal. But, it is to be observed, 

 those societies which have exaggerated the 

 patriarchal type and built all their civilisation 

 upon it, seem to be incapable of advancing 

 further. This is conspicuously the case with 

 Mohammedan peoples. Just as war has ful- 

 filled important functions in the progress of the 

 human race, so the terrible powers of the 

 house-father in certain ancient systems of law 

 have had their use : but it does not follow that 

 what once aided the race in its strugo-le with 



t>c> 



must it not come to be our ideal of social ethics generally, 

 because it is the system which would involve the least waste 

 of life and energy ? Of course the compromise of equality 

 is frequently needed to save disputes, and so avoid waste in 

 another way. 



