230 The Morality of Nature 



servitude. The disability of female sex, which has been 

 classed with that of immaturity, is also disappearing. It 

 arises in the ancient instinctive prejudice in favor of coer- 

 cion, which belongs to patriarchal control ; and it is continued 

 by the prejudice in favor of strictly logical reasoning, which 

 materialistic philosophy induces. But it utterly fails in the 

 light of altruistic philosophy, which recognizes inherited 

 emotion, and instinct and conscience and love, as equalling 

 logic as factors of human conduct. Difference of sex is 

 visibly being removed from the question of qualification for 

 citizenship; and obviously a recognition of the feminine 

 quality of wisdom is the reason. 



The disability of infancy separates itself on other lines. 

 The immature individual remains under the natural influence 

 of a parent, and therefore a voice granted to obedient minors 

 would only increase the power of a parent; while to the 

 disobedient it would encourage ignorance. 



The disability in racial difference is an important question 

 which tends to reassert itself. It has been generously lessened 

 and removed under the impulse of broad humanitarian feel- 

 ing; and this action has shown its complexity by conse- 

 quences evil as well as good. It cannot be doubted that to 

 admit into the management of an organization, persons un- 

 qualified for the conduct required in it, is a serious loss to 

 the community, without the gain proffered to the individual. 

 The gain he really makes is purely selfish, or is perhaps even 

 a gain for his own different system of conduct, with a loss to 

 the interests of his benefactors. Such questions as the admis- 

 sion to full privilege of the unassimilable races of other color, 

 are in the borderland where self-preservation has its prime- 



