Sex and Common-SenseRoyden, A. Maude (Agnes Maude)
Philosophy
Sex and Common-Sense
Royden, A. Maude (Agnes Maude)
Marriage; Sex; Sexual ethics
I have tried to reach those realities of human nature on which human
morality must be based. I believe that the fundamental things which we
must take into account are, first, the complex nature of human beings,
who having body, soul, and spirit to reckon with cannot neglect any one of
these without insincerity; and, secondly, the solidarity of the human race,
which makes it futile to act as though the "morals" of any one of us could
be his own affair alone.
It is because of this solidarity that marriage has always been regarded as
a matter of public interest, to be recognized by law, celebrated by some
public ceremony, protected by a legal contract. All are concerned in this
matter, for it affects the race itself, through the children that may be
born.
Human children need what animals do not, or not to the same extent. They
need two parents: they need a stable and permanent home: they need a
spiritual marriage, a real harmony between their parents, as well as a
physical one. A child is not provided for when you have given it a home
and food and clothing, since it is a spirit as well as a body--a soul and
a spirit, a being craving for love, and needing to live in an atmosphere
of love. The young of no other species need this as children do, and
therefore, it is the concern of the community to see that the rights of
these most helpless and most precious little ones are safeguarded. I cannot
believe that any State calling itself civilized can ever disregard the
duty of safeguarding the human rights of the child, and I repeat its
human rights are not sufficiently met when its physical necessities are
guaranteed. But I go further. I claim that it is really the concern of all
of us that people who love should do so honestly, faithfully, responsibly.
Marriage should be permanent; that is true in a sense that makes it
important to all of us that it should succeed. Those who have loved and
ceased to love have not failed for themselves only but for all. They have
shaken the faith of the world. They have inclined us to the false belief
that love is not eternal. They have, so far as they could, destroyed
a great ideal, injured a great faith. People--and some of these are my
personal friends, and people for whom I have a very great respect--who
affirm that a legal or religious marriage is not necessary because their
relations to one another are not the concern of the community, may have, it
seems to me, a morality that is lofty, but not one that is broad, not one
that is truly human. It is not true (and, therefore, it is not moral) to
say that marriage is not the concern of other people. No one can fail in
love, no one can take on himself so great a responsibility and fail to
fulfil it, without all of us being concerned. Humanity is _solidaire_.
The community is and must be concerned in the love of men and women in
marriage. But what should be the nature of that concern? What should
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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