Sex & Character: Authorised Translation from the Sixth German EditionWeininger, Otto
Philosophy
Sex & Character: Authorised Translation from the Sixth German Edition
Weininger, Otto
Character; Sex; Sex (Psychology); Sexual ethics
I have been unwilling to pursue the second method as fully as is
possible, because every one can apply for himself to concrete facts the
two well-defined extreme types; once it is understood that actual
individuals are mixtures of the types, it is simple to apply theory to
practice, and the actual pursuit of detailed cases would involve much
repetition and bring little theoretical advantage. The second method,
however, is impracticable. The collection of the long series of details
from which the inductions would be made would simply weary the reader.
In the first or biological part of my work, I give little attention to
the extreme types, but devote myself to the fullest investigation of the
intermediate stages. In the second part, I shall endeavour to make as
full a psychological analysis as possible of the characters of the male
and female types, and will touch only lightly on concrete instances.
I shall first mention, without laying too much stress on them, some of
the more obvious mental characteristics of the intermediate conditions.
Womanish men are usually extremely anxious to marry, at least (I mention
this to prevent misconception) if a sufficiently brilliant opportunity
offers itself. When it is possible, they nearly always marry whilst they
are still quite young. It is especially gratifying to them to get as
wives famous women, artists or poets, or singers and actresses.
Womanish men are physically lazier than other men in proportion to the
degree of their womanishness. There are “men” who go out walking with
the sole object of displaying their faces like the faces of women,
hoping that they will be admired, after which they return contentedly
home. The ancient “Narcissus” was a prototype of such persons. These
people are naturally fastidious about the dressing of their hair, their
apparel, shoes, and linen; they are concerned as to their personal
appearance at all times, and about the minutest details of their toilet.
They are conscious of every glance thrown on them by other men, and
because of the female element in them, they are coquettish in gait and
demeanour. Viragoes, on the other hand, frequently are careless about
their toilet, and even about the personal care of their bodies; they
take less time in dressing than many womanish men. The dandyism of men
on the one hand, and much of what is called the emancipation of women,
are due to the increase in the numbers of these epicene creatures, and
not merely to a passing fashion.
Indeed, if one inquires why anything becomes the fashion it will be
found that there is a true cause for it.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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