Month: September 2025

A History Of Gynocentrism’s Journey Into China

/ SpiritHart

The following is a history of gynocentrism’s journey into China during the early 20th Century – based upon the Chinese language. English (pdf.) translation by SpiritHart.

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A Chaotic Scene: The Translation and Reception of the Gynaecocentric Theory in China ~ By Tang Xinyu

Abstract: The gynaecocentric theory, put forward by Lester F. Ward (1841–1913) in 1888, was introduced to China via Japan by Li Da (1890–1966) and Xia Mianzun (1886–1946) between 1921 and 1922. In contrast to its being seldom mentioned in the United States during the same period, the theory aroused a heated and prolonged discussion among the Chinese intellectuals. The translators Li Da and Xia Mianzun did not actually agree with Ward’s analysis of the causes of inequalities between men and women, although they faithfully translated his theory. Similarly, the readers, including socialists, feminists and nationalists, criticised or approved the theory according to their own values and stances. Behind all the different opinions, there was something in common: the vast majority of readers adopted a pragmatic position, without paying much attention to the theoretical study of the theory, which not only inevitably caused misreading of Ward and his theory, but created difficulties in recognising the weakness of the theory.

Sinne en Minne-beelden (1627): A Moral Lesson About Romantic Love

/ gynocentrism

The image below is from Jacob Cats’s emblem book Sinne- en Minne-beelden (1627), where the destructive aspect of Minne (romantic love) is explored through moralized allegories.

 

The crocodile embodies unbridled, consuming passion, a dangerous and insatiable force that, left unchecked, leads to ruin and death. The emblem “Nescit habere modum” (“It knows no moderation”) draws on the natural-history belief that the crocodile grows continually throughout its life, using it as a symbol for romantic love’s tendency to increase without restraint.

The author contrasts this destructive urge with the ideal of conjugal love, which, though also enduring, is tempered by virtue and fidelity. Thus, the emblem sets “Minne” before the reader as uncontrolled desire that consumes itself like the ever-growing crocodile, as contrasted with conjugal affection which alone can channel love’s power into lasting harmony.