The Social Emergency: Studies in Sex Hygiene and Morals
Science
The Social Emergency: Studies in Sex Hygiene and Morals
Sex instruction
(2) The second aim is general intelligence. Sex is a universal element in
all living beings, with the exception of the very lowest; it pervades the
life of the spirit as well as the life of the body. No man, therefore, can
be intelligent concerning things in general without a clear, definite and
accurate knowledge of the fundamental facts of sex. One of the strongest
new visions concerning sex is the marvelous way in it ramifies into all
fields of thought and action. Not a few of the most eminent workers in
modern science incline to consider all aspects of human life, including
even religion itself, as emanations or processes from the sex basis. Such
in particular are G. Stanley Hall in America and Freud in Germany. Without
going to such extremes we may still recognize the fact that in all sorts
of physical and psychic problems in morals, religion, and sociology, sex
plays an important part and must be understood if we are to grasp the
situation and its meaning.[31]
(3) The third aim is social enlightenment. The human spirit in our own day
is manifestly addressing itself to the solution of the special social
problems which involve the sexual life of men. Three of these problems may
be specified: (a) The so-called "social evil," including not merely
prostitution, but also all other forms of waste and injury through sexual
errors; (b) the problem of family life, including marriage and the rearing
of children, as well as pathological aspects such as desertion and
divorce; (c) the vast problem of eugenics or race culture.
In all these fields the problems of sex are involved. Men and women who
desire to bear their whole burden as members of a progressive society must
contribute to the solution of these great social problems, and to do this
wisely must know something about the basic facts of sex life.[32]
The first and basic part of sex education is bodily regimen: children and
youth must live an abundant, vigorous, wholesome physical life.[33] Cities
have threatened to be the "graves of the human species" in this respect.
Sedentary life chokes and misdirects the currents of nervous energy and
the very circulation of the blood. The lad who plays vigorously, even
violently; who can "get his second wind," turn a handspring, do a good
cross-country run, swim the river, possesses a great bulwark of defense
against sexual vice, especially in its secret forms.
The revival of play, of play for all, boys and girls, weak as well as
strong, is one of the most hopeful movements on foot to-day. Let us base
our promotions from grade to grade, and especially for "graduation" from
school, partly upon physical tests, requiring each student to make of
himself physically, not a record-breaking athlete, but the best that can
be made out of the stuff in him.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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