A Problem in Modern Ethics: Being an Inquiry into the Phenomenon of Sexual Inversion, Addressed Especially to Medical Psychologists and JuristsSymonds, John Addington
Philosophy
A Problem in Modern Ethics: Being an Inquiry into the Phenomenon of Sexual Inversion, Addressed Especially to Medical Psychologists and Jurists
Symonds, John Addington
Homosexuality
The normal man he calls _Dioning_, the abnormal man _Urning_. Among
Urnings, those who prefer effeminate males are christened by the name of
_Mannling_; those who prefer powerful and masculine adults receive the
name of _Weibling_; the Urning who cares for adolescents is styled a
_Zwischen-Urning_. Men who seemed to be indifferently attracted by both
sexes, he calls _Uranodioninge_. A genuine Dioning, who, from lack of
women, or under the influence of special circumstances, consorts with
persons of his own sex, is denominated _Uraniaster_. A genuine Urning,
who has put restraint upon his inborn impulse, who has forced himself to
cohabit with women, or has perhaps contracted marriage, is said to be
_Virilisirt_--a virilised Urning.
These outlandish names, though seemingly pedantic and superfluous, have
their technical value, and are necessary to the understanding of
Ulrichs' system. He is dealing exclusively with individuals classified
by common parlance as males without distinction. Ulrichs believes that
he can establish a real natural division between men proper, whom he
calls _Dioninge_, and males of an anomalous sexual development, whom he
calls _Urninge_. Having proceeded so far, he finds the necessity of
distinguishing three broad types of the Urning, and of making out the
crosses between Urning and Dioning, of which he also find three species.
It will appear in the sequel that whatever may be thought about his
psychological hypothesis, the nomenclature he has adopted is useful in
discussion, and corresponds to well-defined phenomena, of which we have
abundant information. The following table will make his analysis
sufficiently plain:--
{ (1) Man or Dioning ... Uraniaster, when
{ he has acquired the
{ tastes of the Urning.
{
The { { Mannling.
Human { (2) Urning { Weibling.
Male { { Zwischen-Urning.
{ { Virilised Urning.
{
{ (3) Uranodioning.
{ (4) Hermaphrodite.
Broadly speaking, the male includes two main species: Dioning and
Urning, men with normal and men with abnormal instincts. What, then,
constitutes the distinction between them? How are we justified in
regarding them as radically divergent?
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account