For a while I thought conservatism was excessively masculine. Then for a while I thought conservatism was excessively feminine. Now I think conservatism is both at once: its ideal is maximum sexual divergence. In conservatism the men try to be as traditionally masculine as possible and the women as traditionally feminine as possible.

The divergence is far more exaggerated divergent than nature produces on its own (which is really no argument against it) and perhaps more divergent than is beneficial to culture (which is a very arguable argument, but one worth having).

In liberalism the men and women both attempt to synthesize the traditional qualities of masculinity and femininity.

The androgyny might be as unnatural as the conservatives sexual roles, but really – so what? We are human beings, and that being is naturally artificial. When we try to “be natural” there’s something artificial about it. Don’t most self-consciously natural people seem a little full of shit?

Pointing at the caricatures doesn’t accomplish anything. There are embarassing fakes and hypocrites on both sides.

It comes back to the arguable argument. What is our cultural ideal? What does amplifying sexual divergence accomplish? What does cultivating androgyny accomplish? Do we need one or the other, or do the two together have some integral purpose?

*

The Androgyne is a traditional symbol of primordial unity.