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Quote by Charlotte Perkins Gilman

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The Man-Made World

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Author

Charlotte Perkins Gilman
Charlotte Perkins Gilman

Charlotte Perkins Gilman was an American novelist, social reformer, and feminist. Her works explored the status of women in society, family, and career, and had a profound impact on women's literature and social movements. more

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“Democratic government is no longer an exercise of arbitrary authority from one above, but is an organization for public service of the people themselves--or will be when it is really attained. In this change government ceases to be compulsion, and becomes agreement; law ceases to be authority and becomes co-ordination. When we learn the rules of whist or chess we do not obey them because we fear to be punished if we don't, but because we want to play the game.”

GovernmentLawSocietyFeminismCrimeGenderPunishmentSexismRadical FeminismGender Critical Feminism
Book:The Man-Made World
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“The connection between our archaic system of punishment and our androcentric culture is two-fold. The impulse of resistance, while, as we have seen, of the deepest natural origin, is expressed more strongly in the male than in the female. The tendency to hit back and hit harder has been fostered in him by sex-combat till it has become of great intensity. The habit of authority too, as old as our history; and the cumulative weight of all the religions and systems of law and government, have furthermore built up and intensified the spirit of retaliation and vengeance. They have even deified this concept, in ancient religions, crediting to God the evil passions of men. As the small boy recited; 'Vengeance. A mean desire to get even with your enemies: 'Vengeance is mine saith the Lord'--'I will repay.”

GovernmentLawSocietyFeminismCrimeGenderPunishmentSexismRadical FeminismGender Critical Feminism
Book:The Man-Made World
Create image