Women's issues

我本没有预备讲这个题目，到安庆后，有一部分人要求讲这个，这问题也是很重要的，所以就临时加入了。

人类有一种“半身不遂”的病，在中风之后，有一部分麻木不仁；这种人一半失了作用，是很可怜的。诸位！我们社会上也害了这“半身不遂”的病几千年了，我们是否应当加以研究？

世界人类分男女两部，习惯上对于男子很发展，对于女子却剥夺她的自由，不准她发展，这就是社会的“半身不遂”的病。社会有了“半身不遂”的病，当然不是健全的社会了。女子问题发生，给我们一种觉悟，不再牺牲一半人生的天才自由，让女子本来有的天才，享受应有的权利，和男子共同担任社会的担子；使男子成一个健全的人，女子也成一个健全的人！于是社会便成了一个健全的社会！

我们以前从不将女子当做人：我们都以为她是父亲的女儿，以为她是丈夫的老婆，以为她是儿子的母亲；所以有“在家从父，出嫁从夫，夫死从子”的话，从来总不认她是一个人！在历史上，只有孝女、贤女、烈女、贞女、节妇、慈母，却没有一个“女人”！诸位！在历史上也曾见过传记称女子是人的么？

研究女子教育是研究什么？——昔日提倡女子教育的，是提倡良妻贤母；须知道良妻贤母是“人”，无所谓“女子”的。女子愿做良妻贤母，便去做她的良妻贤母，假使女子不愿意做良妻贤母，依旧可以做她的人的。先定了这个目标，然后再说旁的。

女子问题可以分两部分讲：

（一）女子解放。

（二）女子改造。

解放一部分是消极的。解放中包含有与束缚对待的意思，所以是消极的。改造却是积极的。改造是研究如何使女子成为人，用何种方法使女子自由发展。

（一）女子解放。解放必定先有束缚。这有两种讲法：一是形体的，一是精神的。

先讲形体的解放。在从前男子拿玩物看待女子，女子便也以玩物自居；许多不自由的刑具，女子都取而加在自己身上，现在算是比较的少了。如缠足、穿耳朵、束胸……等等都是，可以算得形体上已解放了。这种不过谈女子解放中的初级。试问除了少数受过教育的女子而外，中国有多少女子不缠足？如果我们不能实行天足运动，我们就不配谈女子解放！——我来安庆的时候，所见的女子，大半是缠足；这可以用干涉、讲演种种方法禁止她们，我希望下次再来安庆的时候，见不着一个缠足女子！——再谈束胸，起初因为美观起见，并不问合卫生与否。我的一个朋友曾经对我说，假使个个女子都束胸，以后都不可以做人的母亲了！

次讲精神的解放。在解放上面，以精神解放最为重要。精神解放怎样讲？——就是几千年来，社会上男子用了许多方法压制女子，引诱女子，便是女子精神上的手镣脚铐。择几桩大的说：

第一，未讲之先，提出一个标准来，——标准就是“为什么？”——“女子不为后嗣”。中国古时候最重的是“有后”——女子不算——家中有财产，女儿不能承受；没有儿子的，一定去在弟兄的儿子中间找一个来承继受领。女子的不能为后嗣，大半为着经济缘故，所以应当从经济方面提倡独立。有一个人临死，分财产做三股，两个女儿得两股，一个侄子得一股，但是他的本家，还要打官司。这个观念如若不打破，对于经济，对于道德，都有极大的关系。还有“娶妾”。一个人年长了，没有儿子，大家便劝他娶妾，——就是他的夫人，也要劝他，不如此，人家便要说她不贤慧——请问这一种恶劣的行为，是从什么地方产生的？再进一步说，既然同认女子是个人，又何以不能承受财产，不能为后？——这是应当打破的邪说之一！

第二，“女子贞操问题”。何谓贞操？——贞操是因男女间感情浓厚，不愿意再及于第三者身上。依新道德讲，男女都应当守贞操，历史上沿习却不然，男子可以嫖，可以纳妾；女子既不可以和人家通奸，反要受种种的限制，大概拿牌坊引诱，使女子守一个无爱情没有见过面的人，一部分女子，因而被他们引诱了。如此的社会，实在是杀人不抵命的东西！贞操实是双方男女共有的。我从前说：“男子嫖婊子，与女子和人通奸，是有同等的罪！”所以，“男子叫女子守节，女子也可以叫男子守节！男子如果可以讨姨太太，女子也就可以娶姨老爷！”谢太傅——谢安——晚年想纳妾，但他却怕老婆。他的朋友劝他，说公例可以纳妾；他的夫人在里面应道：“婆例不可！”——历来都用惯了“公例”，未常实行“婆例”。这种虚伪的贞操，委实可以打破。再简单说：“贞操是根据爱情的，是双方的！男子可以不守节，女子也可以不守节！”

第三，“女子责在阃内说”。女子的职务，在家庭以内，这种学说也是捆女子的一根铁索，如果不打断，就难说到解放。有许多女子，足能够做学问，可以学美术、文学……，可以当教员……；有许多男子，只配抱孩子、煮饭的。有许多事，男子不能做而女子能做。如果不打破这种学说，只是养成良妻贤母，实在不行。我们要使女子发展天才，决不能叫她永远须在家里头。女子会抱孩子、煮饭，也只是女子中的一部分，女子决不全是会抱孩子、煮饭的；有天才的女子，却往往因为这个缘故，不得尽量的发展。就说女子不能做他种事业，但她们做教师便比男子好得多了。总结一句：我们不应当拿家里洗衣、煮饭、抱孩子许多事体来难女子。我们吃饭，可以吃一品香、海洞春厨子做的，衣服可以拿到洗衣厂里去洗！

第四，“防闲的道德论”。由古代相传，男子对女子总有怀疑的态度，总有防闲的道德。现在人对女子，依旧有这一种态度。我所说安庆讲演会里职员，有许多女子加入，便引起了社会上的非难。我将告诉他们：“防闲决不是道德！”如把鸟雀关在笼中，一放他便飞了；不然，一年两年的工夫，也就闷死了。当我在西洋的时候，见中国许多留学生，常常闹笑话，在交际场中，遇了女子和他接洽，他便以为有意。由此，我连带想起一件故事。某人的笔记上说：“有一个老和尚，养了一个小孩子，作为小和尚；老和尚对他防闲得利害，使他不知世故。某年，老和尚带这小和尚下山，小和尚一件东西也不认识，逢到东西，老和尚不等他问，便一一的告诉他，恰巧有个女子经过，老和尚恐怕他沾染红尘，便不和他说。小和尚就问，老和尚便扯道：这是吃人的老鬼。等到回山的时候，老和尚便问他下山一日，有所爱否？小和尚说，所爱的只是吃人的老鬼！”防闲的道德，就是最不道德！我国学生，何以多说是不道德？实是因为防闲太利害了，一遇到恶人，便要堕落！我希望以后要打破防闲的道德论！平心而论，完全自由，也有流弊，不过总不可因噎废食的。不要以一二人的堕落而及于全部。而且自由的流弊，决不是防闲所可免，若求自由无流弊，必定要再加些自由于上面；自由又自由，丝毫流弊都没有了！因为怕流弊而禁止自由，流弊必定更多，且更不自由了！社会上应存“容人的态度”，须知社会上决没有无流弊的。张小姐闹事，只是张小姐；李小姐闹事，只是李小姐；决不能因为一两人而及于全体的！愿再加解放许多自由，叫他们晓得所以，自然没有流弊了！

（二）女子改造。改造方面，比较简单些。解放是对外的要求；改造却是对内的要求，但也不完全靠自己的！

先说内部。女子本身的改造，无论女子本身或提倡女子问题的，都要认明白目标：第一，“自立的能力”。女子问题第一个要点，就在这问题。女子嫁人，总要攀高些，却不问自立。我觉女子要做人，须注意“自立”，假如女子不能自立，决不能够解放去奋斗的。第二，“独立的精神”。这个名词，是老生常谈，不过我说的是精神上，不怕社会压制；社会反对，也是要干的！像现在这种时代是很不容易谈解放的。不顾社会非难，可以独行其是。第三，“先驱者的责任”。做先锋的责任，在谈女子问题中是很重要的。我们一举一动，在社会上极受影响。先驱者的责任，只要知道公德，不要过问私德；一人如此，可以波及全体的。不要使我个人行为，在女子运动上加了一个污点！我最不相信道德，但为了这个起见，也不得不相信了！我常常说：“当学生的，如其提倡废考，不如提倡严格考试；社交解放的先驱者，如提倡自由恋爱，不如提倡独身主义！”这是诸位要注意的！

（本文为1921年8月4日夜胡适在安庆青年会的演讲，张友鸾、陈东原记录，原载1922年5月1日《妇女杂志》第8卷第5号）

I wasn't going to talk about it, but when I got to Anqing, some people asked me to talk about it, and it was important, so I just jumped in. Human beings have a "paraplegia", a partial Zombie after a stroke, and it is a pity that half of them are useless. Gentlemen! Our Society has also suffered from this "paraplegia" disease for thousands of years, we should be studied? The world of human beings is divided into two parts: men and women. It is customary for men to develop, but for women it deprives them of their freedom and prevents them from developing. This is the disease of "hemiplegia" in society. Society has a "paraplegia" disease, of course, is not a healthy society. The occurrence of women's problems gives us a kind of consciousness, no longer sacrifice half of life's genius freedom, let women have the talent, enjoy the right, and men to share the burden of society; Make a man a sound man, and a woman a sound man! Then the society becomes a sound society! We never thought of a woman as a human being before: we all thought of her as the daughter of her father, as the wife of her husband, as the mother of her son; So there is "at home from the father, married from the husband, the husband died from the son," then, never recognize her as a person! In history, there are only filial piety, virtuous women, martyrs, Virgins, virtuous women, loving mothers, but not a "woman"! Gentlemen! Have biographies ever claimed that women were human? What is the study of Women's education? In the past, it was the good wife and good mother who advocated the education of women. We should know that a good wife and good mother are "human beings" and there is no such thing as "women". If a woman is not willing to be a good wife and a good mother, she can still be her person. Set that goal first, then move on. The woman problem can be divided into two parts:

< p > (I) women's liberation.

< p > (2) women's reform. Part of liberation is negative. Liberation contains the meaning of being treated with bondage, so it is negative. The transformation is positive. Transformation is the study of how to make women human and how to make women develop freely. (1) women's liberation. There must be a bond before liberation. There are two ways of saying this: one is physical, the other is spiritual.

first talk about the liberation of the body. In the old days, when men used to treat women as objects, women considered themselves objects; many of the instruments of torture which were not free were taken by women and added to themselves; now they are comparatively few. Such as foot binding, ear piercing, corset... and so on, can be considered physically liberated. This kind of talk is only the primary in women's liberation. With the exception of a few educated women, how many women in China do not bind their feet? If we can not carry out the heavenly foot movement, we do not deserve to talk about women's Liberation! - when I came to Anqing, most of the women I saw were bound feet; this could be done by intervention, by speech, by any means, and I hope that the next time I come to Anqing I shall not see a bound foot woman! -- the corset, at first, for the sake of beauty, does not ask whether it is sanitary or not. A friend of mine once said to me, if all the women are corset, the future can not be a person's mother!

< p > times talk about spiritual liberation. On liberation, spiritual liberation is the most important. What about spiritual liberation? For thousands of years, men in society have used many methods to oppress and seduce women, which is the fetters and fetters of women's spirit. Choose a few big say:

< p > first, before I say, put forward a standard,-the standard is "Why?"-"a woman is not an heir. In ancient China, the most important thing was "Youhou"-- a woman does not count -- a family had property that a daughter could not afford; those who did not have sons must go to one of their brothers'sons to inherit and receive it. Women can not be heirs, mostly for economic reasons, it should be from the economic aspect to promote independence. When a man died, he divided his property into three shares, two shares for his two daughters and one share for his nephew, but his own family had to fight a lawsuit. This idea, if not broken, has a great deal to do with economics and morality. And "take a concubine.". When a man is old and has no son, they persuade him to take a concubine, even his wife, or else they will say she is not virtuous, where does it come from? Furthermore, since women are recognized as individuals, why can not accept property, can not be after? This is one of the myths that should be broken! Second, "the problem of a woman's virtue". What is virginity? Chastity is due to the strong feelings between men and women, do not want to extend to the third person. According to the new morality, both men and women should be chaste, but historically it was not the case that men could have sex with prostitutes and take concubines, and women were not allowed to fornicate with other people, but were subjected to various restrictions, probably by using a memorial archway to seduce them, to keep a woman without love, who has never met, and some of the women are seduced by them. Such a society, is really killing something indefensible! Chastity is shared by both men and women. I once said, "it is an equal crime for a man to go whoring with a woman and fornicate with another." "If a man can ask a woman to observe the festival, a woman can ask a man to observe the festival. If a man can ask for his wife, a woman can also marry his master." Shahan, the Chief Minister, wanted to take concubines in his old age, but he's afraid of his wife. His friend advised him that the common law allowed him to take concubines; and his wife replied, "not the mother-in-law!"-- the common law has always been used, but the common law has not always been practiced. This kind of false chastity, can actually break. Then simply say: "virginity is based on love, is both! Men can not keep festival, women can not keep festival!"

< p > third, "the woman responsible in the inside said.". The office of the woman, within the family, this doctrine is also a tie of the woman's iron, if not interrupted, it is difficult to say liberation. There are many women, enough to do learning, can learn art, literature... , can be teachers... ; there are many men, only hold children, cooking. There are many things a man can not do and a woman can do. If we do not break the doctrine, just to foster a good wife and a good mother, really not good. We must develop the genius of a woman; we must never keep her at home. Women can hold children, cooking, but only a part of women, women will not hold children, cooking; there are talented women, but often because of this reason, not as far as possible development. It is said that women can not do other things, but they are much better than men as teachers. To sum up: We should not take home washing, cooking, holding the children of many things to women. We Eat, can eat a taste of incense, Haidong spring cook, clothes can be taken to the laundry to wash! Fourth, "the moral theory of leisure". From ancient times, men always have a suspicious attitude towards women, there is always the moral of leisure. People still have this kind of attitude towards women. When I say that there are many women in the staff of the Anqing Toastmasters, it causes social censure. I will tell them, "it is not moral to be idle!" If a bird is kept in a cage, it will fly; otherwise, in a year or two, it will suffocate. When I was in the west, I saw a lot of Chinese students, often make a joke, in the social field, met a woman and he approached, he thought it was intended. This brings to mind a story. One man's note said, "there was an old monk who raised a child as a young monk. The old monk kept him safe from idleness and kept him ignorant of the world. One year, the old monk took the little monk down the mountain, the little monk did not know a thing, when things, the old monk did not wait for him to ask, one by one told him, happened to have a woman through, the Old Monk afraid he would be stained with red dust, and he did not say. The young monk asked, and the Old Monk said, this is a man-eating ghost. When it was time to return to the mountain, the old monk asked him if he had any love for the day he came down? The little monk said, "All you love is an old man who eats people!" Is the most immoral! Why is it immoral for Chinese students to say so much? It is because the prevention of leisure is too great, a wicked person, they will fall! I hope to break the moral theory of leisure in the future! To be fair, complete freedom has its drawbacks, but one should never give up eating for fear of choking. Do not extend to all by the depravity of one or two. And the evils of liberty are by no means immune from the evils of leisure; if liberty be sought, liberty must be added; Liberty and liberty, no evils at all! Because of the fear of abuse and prohibit freedom, abuse is bound to be more, and less free! There should be a "tolerant attitude" in society, we should know that there is no such thing as a free-flowing society. Miss Zhang causes trouble, it's only Miss Zhang; Miss Li causes trouble, it's only Miss Li; never because of one or two people and the whole! May more freedoms be set free, that they may know that, therefore, there is no evil!

< p > (2) women's reform. In terms of transformation, it's easier. Liberation is the demand of the outside world; transformation is the demand of the inside, but it is not entirely self-reliant!

< P > inside first. The transformation of women themselves, whether women themselves or advocates of women's issues, must understand the goals: first, "self-reliance.". That's the first thing about women. When a woman marries, she must always climb higher, but never ask for self-support. I think a woman should be a person, should pay attention to "self-reliance", if a woman can not self-reliance, never be able to liberation to struggle. Second, the spirit of independence. The term, is a cliche, but I said that the spirit, not afraid of social repression; social opposition, but also to do! It's not easy to talk about liberation in times like these. Regardless of social stigma, you can go your own way. Third, "the responsibility of the pioneers". The responsibility of being a pioneer is very important in talking about women's issues. Our actions have a profound impact on society. The responsibility of the pioneers, as long as know public morality, do not interfere in private morality; one person so, can affect the whole. Don't make me a personal blemish on the women's movement! I don't believe in morality, but for the sake of it, I have to! I have often said, "those who are students, as much as those who advocate abolition of examinations, should advocate strict examinations; those who are pioneers of social liberation, as much as those who advocate free love, should advocate asceticism!" This is what you should pay attention to!

(this is Hu Shih's speech at the Anqing Youth Association on the night of August 4,1921, recorded by Zhang Youluan and Chen Dongyuan, originally published in Women's Magazine, Volume 8, No. 5, on May 1,1922)

标题: 女子问题
作者: 胡适
字数: 3200
简介: 我本没有预备讲这个题目，到安庆后，有一部分人要求讲这个，这问题也是很重要的，所以就临时加入了。人类有一种“半身不遂”的病，在中风之后，有一部