[1376] Friedberg, 90.
[1377] Hagelstange, Bauernleben im M. A., 61.
[1378] Friedberg, 85; cf. Weinhold, D. F., I, 378; Grimm, D. R. A., 436.
[1379] Lecky, Eur. Morals, II, 347.
CHAPTER XI
THE SOCIAL CODES
Specification of the subject.—Meaning of "immoral."—Natural functions.—The current code and character.—Definitions of chastity, decency, propriety, etc.—Chastity.—Pagan life policy.—Modesty and shame.—The line of decency in dress.—Present conventional limits of decency.—Decency and vanity.—Modesty is the opposite of impudence.—Shame.—The first attachments to the body.—The fear of sorcery.—What functions should be concealed.—Restraint of expression within limits.—Violation of rule.—The suspensorium.—The girdle and what it conceals.—Modesty and decency not primitive.—What parts of the body are tabooed?—Notion of decency lacking.—Dress and decency.—Ornament and simplest dress.—The evolution of dress.—Men dressed; women not.—Dress for other purposes than decency; excessive modesty.—Contrasted standards of decency.—Standards of decency as to natural functions, etc.—Bathing; customs of nudity.—Bathing in rivers, springs, and public bath houses.—Nudity.—Alleged motives of concealment taboo.—Obscenity.—Obscene representations for magic.—Infibulation.—Was the phallus offensive?—Phallus as amulet.—Symbols in Asia.—The notion of obscenity is modern.—Propriety.—Seclusion of women.—Customs of propriety.—Moslem rules of propriety.—Hatless women.—Rules of propriety.—Hindoo ritual of the toilet, etc.—Greek rules of propriety.—Erasmus's rules.—Eating.—Kissing.—Politeness, etiquette, manners.—Good manners.—Etiquette of salutation, etc.—Literature of manners and etiquette.—Honor, seemliness, common sense, conscience.—Seemliness.—Cases of unseemliness.—Greek tragedies and notions of seemliness.—Greek conduct.—Seemliness in the Middle Ages.—Unseemly debate.—Unseemliness of lynching, torture, etc.—Good taste.—Whence good taste is derived.—The great variety in the codes.—Morals and deportment.—The relation of the social codes to morals and religion.—Rudeck's conclusions.
438. Specification of the subject. The ethnographers write of a tribe that the "morality" in it, especially of the women, is low or high, etc. This is the technical use of morality,—as a thing pertaining to the sex relation only or especially, and the ethnographers make their propositions by applying our standards of sex behavior, and our form of the sex taboo, to judge the folkways of all people. All that they can properly say is that they find a great range and variety of usages, ideas, standards, and ideals, which differ greatly from ours. Some of them are far stricter than ours. Those we do not consider nobler than ours. We do not feel that we ought to adopt any ways because they are more strict than our traditional ones. We consider many to be excessive, silly, and harmful. A Roman senator was censured for impropriety because he kissed his wife in the presence of his daughter.[1380]