A Preliminary Study of the Emotion of Love between the SexesBell, Sanford
Science
A Preliminary Study of the Emotion of Love between the Sexes
Bell, Sanford
Child psychology; Love
“There are two fundamental reasons why the endeavor should be made to
obtain a broad basis of clear information on the subject. In the
first place, the normal phenomena give the key to the abnormal, and
the majority of sexual perversions, including even those that are
most repulsive, are but exaggerations of instincts and emotions that
are germinal in normal human beings. In the second place, what is
normal cannot be determined until the sexual life of a large number
of healthy individuals is known, and until the limits of normal
sexuality are known the physician is not in a position to lay down
any reasonable rules of sexual hygiene.”
Although very short, the analysis of the sex passions in adults by
Herbert Spencer[4] in a part of one section in his “Principles of
Psychology,” is one of the best. Bain[5] devotes one chapter to the
Tender Emotion which he makes include Sex-love, the parental
feelings, the benevolent affection, gratitude, sorrow, admiration and
esteem. A very few pages are given to sex-love proper. Very
suggestive paragraphs bearing either directly or indirectly upon the
subject are to be found in the works of such writers as Moll, Sergi,
Mantegazza, James, Janet, Delboeuf, Feré, Boveri, Kiernan, Hartmann,
Dessoir, Fincke and others. There is a vast amount of literature upon
the pathological phases of the subject which is to be considered in
another chapter.
The analyses thus far given by scientists are limited to the emotion
as it is manifested in the adult. A few writers have referred to it
in dealing with the psychology of adolescence, but in this connection
refer to it as one of the many ways in which the adolescent spirit
shows its intensity, turbulence and capriciousness. I know of no
scientist who has given a careful analysis of the emotion as it is
seen in the adolescent. It is true that it has been the chosen theme
of the poet, romancer and novelist. But in the products of such
writers we may look for artistic descriptions of the emotion and for
scenes and incidents that very truly portray its nature; we have no
right to expect a scientific analysis.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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