The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-08-14

| portancs Of chastity to society. In pursuance
Of his inquiry he 10 obliged TO nsme some fscts
| which In the absence OF strong reason
should be passed over. but which are not more
Questionable than many which are re-
| ported In the daily papers. Many exam
! pies are cited to demonstrate how
little chastity is priced In man or woman.
married or unmarried. among primitive,
uncultured people without reproducing
any OF these we will only motto in one civilized
nation a feeling almost tho reverse OF that
which Is SO strongly pronounced In Europe
and America Says Dixon Of the Japanese:
1t used to be no uncommon thing land we
have no clear evidence that tho custom is OBJ
solete) for q dutiful daughter to sell herself
for term OF years to the proprietor OF . house
OF Ill fame. In order that she might thus re-
trieve hor fathers fallen fortunes. When she
returned to her home no stigma attached to
her. Rather was she honored for her
fiial DEVOTION" In q work just pub
lishcd. The Real Japan" Mr.. Henry
Norman denies this alleged return home
with credit lin modern times at least
but he verinos the earlier part OF the statement
that daughters are sold for specific periods By
their parents. the fact that such parents are
tolerated being sufficiently indicative OF the
prevailing sentiment From this and the nu-
Spencer. we get proof that in respect OF this
division OF conduct as in respect OF tho other
divisions OF conduct dealt with in other chap
tiers OF this book. tho habits of a people gen.
crate a sentiment harmonizipg with them. 1t
Is trite remark that tho individual who per-
sists in wrongdoing eventually loses all sense
that it is wrong. and at length believes that It
is rightdoing. Tho like holds socially-must.
indeed. hold socially-since public opinion is
but an aggregate OF individual opinion.
After comparing one society with another.
Mr.. Spencer proceeds to compare early stages
OF those societies which have developed civil
lization with the later stages OF the same COM
munities. Here again We find variable rela-
tions between chastity and social develop
ment Only in modern society can we say
that this relation becomes tolerably clear. We
are reminded how low in their sexual rela-
tions were tho people Of India In earlier
days. and how. promiscuty and polyandry
having died out poets and sages In
later times sndeavored to explain away
tho traditional transgressions OF their
god. while existing Hindoos show shame
when reproached with the Illicit amours Of
the ancient heroes and heroines. Hore there
seems to have been a progress OF tho Kind to
be looked for. That among adjacent 30
cieties there took place some kindred
fact that the prostitution in temples. which
prevailed among tho Babylonians and Egyp-
tians. probably indicated certain customs
much more widely spread in earlier times. but
which had partially. il not wholly. disap-
peared That in tho case OF the Hebrews fur
Their advances took place seems to be shown
by the fact that though Herod the Great had
nine wives. and though In tho Mishna polyg-
amy Is referred to as existing. yet the REFER
ences in Ecclesiasticus implies q general es-
tablishment OF monoGamy. The relevant
changes In the course OF Greek civilization
clearly do not warrant the assertion that o
better relation Of the sexes accompanied
higher social arrangements. The amount Of
concubinaee implied by tho Iliad was less
than that implied by the use Of female slaves
md servants in Athenian households: and
the established institution Of hetdrdi tthe
many distinguished specimens OF whom
cocxisted with a multitude OF undistin-
guishedl the adding to the public revenue by
u tax on houses OF i'll fame and the continu-
ance of authorized prostitution in the temples
OF Aphrodits Pandemos. further prove that
tho relation OF the sexes has degenerat-
ed. Passing to Rome We meet with an unde-
niable case OF retroGression in sexual ar
rangements and usages. going along. however.
with a kind OF social progress which is i'm
piled by extension OF empire and increase
OF political organization. The contrast be-
tween the ocular relations Of men to women
in early Roman times and the extremely irreG-
ular relations which prevailed in tho times Of
the Emperors. when the being modest was
taken to imply being ugly. and when patrician
ladies had to be stopped by law from becom-
ing prostitutes. show that moral degradation
OF this kind may accompany one type Of ad
vancing civilization.
The reaction which began after tho most
corrupt Roman times is recognized by Mr..
Spencer as having been greatly furthered by
Christianity. The furthernnce. however. is not
attributed by him to a true conception OF the
relation OF the sexes and sentiment ap-
propriate thereto. but rather to an asceticism
which reprobated the acceptance Of pleasures
and applauded the submission to pains. The
prompting motive was an other-worldly one
more than an intrinsically moral one. though
Mr.. Spencer would not deny that the other
worldly motive probably fostered the moral
motive. In this case. nevertheless. as In
countless other cases. the general law
OF rhythm was illustrated. Following the
violent reaction against Roman laXity
came In time Q violent counter reac-
ton; that is to say. after . period Of sexual
restraints came period OF sexual excesses-a
period in which the relation between action
and reaction was further eXemplifed By
tho fact that the nominally celibate clergy
and nuns became worse than the laity
| who were not bound to celibacy. 1t is
further noted that the peoples Of northern
Europe. among whom the relation OF the
sexes seem to have been originally good. also
exhibited in course OF time. though in less
marked degree. the SO xual retrogression that
may 60 along with some kinds OF social
progress. In modern days. however. the ad-
vance to higher political types and moro set
tied social states has been accompanied by
an average improvement In this respect as In
other cspects
Mr.. Spencer abandons as imprncticable the
attempt to satisfactorily interpret tho many
strange variations and contrasts presented by
the relations OF the sexes in different places
and at different times. In his opinion the
causation Is too obscure and complex to be
Analysed. Ho adverts, however. to certain
causes which seem to have been occasionally
influential. though to what extent cannot be
affirmed. Thus. the extreme axity OF tho To.
hitians may possibly have been encouraged By
the immense fertility OF their habitat Whore