CONTENTS
| [CHAPTER I] | |
| PAGE | |
The reproduction of living beings—History of the germ—Cell-division—Parthenogenesis—Conjugation—Mneme—Embryonic development—Difference of sexes—Castration—Hermaphrodism— Heredity—Blastophthoria | 6 |
| [CHAPTER II] | |
The evolution or descent of living beings | 39 |
| [CHAPTER III] | |
Natural conditions of mechanism of human coitus—Pregnancy— Correlative sexual characters | 49 |
| [CHAPTER IV] | |
The sexual appetite in man and woman—Flirtation | 72 |
| [CHAPTER V] | |
Love and other irradiations of the sexual appetite in the human mind—Psychic irradiations of love in man: Procreative instinct, jealousy, sexual braggardism, pornographic spirit, sexual hypocrisy, prudery and modesty, old bachelors—Psychic irradiations of love in woman: Old maids, passiveness and desire, abandon and exaltation, desire for domination, petticoat government, desire of maternity and maternal love, routine and infatuation, jealousy, dissimulation, coquetry, prudery and modesty—Fetichism and anti-fetichism— Psychological relations of love to religion | 104 |
| [CHAPTER VI] | |
Ethnology and history of the sexual life of man and of marriage—Origin of marriage—Antiquity of matrimonial institutions—Criticism of the doctrine of promiscuity— Marriage and celibacy—Sexual advances and demands of marriage—Methods of attraction—Liberty of choice—Sexual selection—Law of resemblance—Hybrids—Prohibition of consanguineous marriages—Role of sentiment and calculation in sexual selection—Marriage by purchase—Decadence of marriage by purchase—Dowry—Nuptial ceremonies—Forms of marriage—Duration of marriage—History of extra-nuptial sexual intercourse | 144 |
| [CHAPTER VII] | |
Sexual evolution—Phylogeny and ontogeny of sexual life | 192 |
| [CHAPTER VIII] | |
Sexual pathology—Pathology of the sexual organs—Venereal disease—Sexual psychology—Reflex anomalies—Psychic impotence—Sexual paradoxy—Sexual anæsthesia—Sexual hyperæsthesia—Masturbation and onanism—Perversions of the sexual appetite: Sadism, masochism, fetichism, exhibitionism, homosexual love, sexual inversion, pederosis, sodomy—Sexual anomalies in the insane and psychopathic— Effects of alcohol on the sexual appetite—Sexual anomalies by suggestion and auto-suggestion—Sexual perversions due to habit | 208 |
| [CHAPTER IX] | |
The role of suggestion in sexual life—Amorous intoxication | 277 |
| [CHAPTER X] | |
The relations of the sexual question to money and property— Prostitution, proxenetism and venal concubinage | 293 |
| [CHAPTER XI] | |
The influence of environment on sexual life—Influence of climate—Town and country life—Vagabondage—Americanism— Saloons and alcohol—Riches and poverty—Rank and social position—Individual life—Boarding schools. | 326 |
| [CHAPTER XII] | |
Religion and sexual life | 340 |
| [CHAPTER XIII] | |
Rights in sexual life—Civil law—Penal law—A medico-legal case | 358 |
| [CHAPTER XIV] | |
Medicine and sexual life—Prostitution—Sexual hygiene— Extra-nuptial intercourse—Medical advice—Means of regulating or preventing conception—Hygiene of marriage— Hygiene of pregnancy—Medical advice as to marriage—Medical secrecy—Artificial abortion—Treatment of sexual disorders | 418 |
| [CHAPTER XV] | |
Sexual morality | 445 |
| [CHAPTER XVI] | |
The sexual question in politics and in political economy | 461 |
| [CHAPTER XVII] | |
The sexual question in pedagogy | 470 |
| [CHAPTER XVIII] | |
The sexual question in art | 489 |
| [CHAPTER XIX] | |
Conclusions—Utopian ideas on the ideal marriage of the future—Bibliographical remarks | 499 |
| [INDEX] | |
THE SEXUAL QUESTION
THE SEXUAL QUESTION
INTRODUCTION
My object is to study the sexual question under all its aspects: scientific, ethnological, pathological and social, and to seek the best solution of the numerous problems connected with it. Unfortunately, in publications dealing with this subject, eroticism usually plays a considerable part, and it is difficult for an author to abstract himself from this, for it is reflected unconsciously in his thoughts. As all sentiment, more or less, warps judgment, it is the duty of scientific criticism to eliminate eroticism in order to be exact and impartial. We shall, therefore, do all that is possible to free ourselves from it in the course of the present study.
The sexual question is of fundamental importance for humanity, whose happiness and well-being depend largely on the best solution of this important problem. In dealing with such a delicate subject I shall endeavor to avoid narrow-mindedness and prejudice; I shall avoid tiresome quotations, and shall only employ technical terms when necessary, as they rather interfere with the comprehension of the subject. I shall take care to explain all those which appear to me indispensable.