Page:The rights of women and the sexual relations.djvu/387

Rh that the hairy face of the man is a survival of the time of bruteman? Does zt not suggest the conclusion, The more hair the less human being? It must not be inferred, however, that bald-headed men are the representatives of humanity. We also note that where inhumanity is cultivated most—namely, among soldiers, the beard, too, plays a great part, just as animals of prey, lions, bears, wolves, etc., distinguish themselves by the thickest and most shaggy furs. We cannot well imagine a true champion of the sword, a model policeman, a thoroughly qualified bailiff, without a bristling thicket under his nose wherein his commanding and swearing voice can break itself in a right threatening manner. If we could imagine all beards as suddenly exterminated we should involuntarily have to presuppose at the same time the abolition of wars, for hairless faces remind us of humanity, while the shaggy, rough appearance can be interpreted and justified only as a constant advertisement of a corresponding barbaric calling. It seems to me that if two armies of smoothly shaven faces were confronted with each other, they would hesitate to fire.

I cannot help thinking that the more men advance in intelligence and humanity, the more will they lose the hair in their faces. Also in this respect the intellectual and refined Greeks give us another eloquent hint. While they furnished all those gods to whom they attributed the coarser qualities and manifestations—Zeus, the thunderer, first of