As for men fairly representing women today, we can see the truth in how they speak. Many men owe their wives everything that is wise and good in their lives, yet still say, “You cannot reason with a woman.” Even men who are polite and educated use the phrase “women and children” as if both are weak or foolish. Almost no man believes that woman was not made for man. When we see these attitudes every day, can we believe that men will always act fairly toward women? Can we believe that they understand women’s purpose and worth well enough to treat them justly? Only certain men—the poet, the artist, the father, or the philosopher—sometimes show respect. The man of the world or the lawmaker rarely does.
Because of this, we see the demands made by those who fight for women’s rights as signs of progress. We want every unfair barrier removed. We want every path open to women as freely as to men. If this happened, and people had time to adjust, we would see greater balance and beauty in the world. We believe the spirit of goodness would fill nature and bring harmony instead of conflict.
But this will happen only when freedom for women, like for men, is seen as a right, not a favor. Just as no one has the right to hold another person in slavery, no man has the right to set limits on a woman, even with good intentions. If a woman is a soul, like any other person, she answers only to one higher power. There is only one law for all souls.
When men learn to see themselves as the brothers and friends—not the masters—of women, true progress will come. What women need is not power over others, but freedom to grow as human beings—to think, to learn, and to live freely. If women are allowed to use their talents fully, they will not complain. They will take joy in their lives and their purpose.
<CAPTION> Margaret Fuller
<ALT TEXT> A vintage photograph of Margaret Fuller, an influential 19th-century journalist, critic, and women's rights advocate. She is seated, wearing a dark dress and a fringed white shawl, with her right hand resting on her forehead and her left hand resting on a book.
.jpg){kind=link}