Civilisation and sex

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32494, 2 January 1971, Page 10

Civilisation and sex

Coming to Terms with Sex. By Leslie Paul. Collins. 220 pp. (Reviewed by J.0.R.)

There are very few who would deny that one of the strongest forces in contemporary society results from a permissive attitude in relation to sexual activity. However, it would have to be a very perceptive critic who could convince Leslie Paul that this is a good thing.

There are those in the technological society who are advocates of that point of view which asserts that sex in itself can be completely described biologically. Thus, all sexual activity is a private concern and in a time when man has come of age he can legitimately ask the State to leave him alone to pursue his desires.

The author is adamant that this judgment is false. By an examination of previous civilisations he reaches the conclusion that sex and sexual activity is a gift that is given to individuals by society. The right of society to do this is based upon the fact that sex is not identified with intercourse but is also related to the nurture of progeny. As an extension of this authority primitive societies had their own traditions by which men and women were initiated at the time of puberty to adult membership of the tribe. The initiation was associated with the gift of sexual rights. Those societies in the past who have abdicated from this position have quickly slipped into oblivion.

In our technological age, gender and sex are seen as irrelevant to the ends of society, and are not the object of concern. Current legislation on abortion and homosexuality and contraceptives, etc., indicate this to all the minds of our legislators. Leslie Paul is of the opinion that such legislators are betraying the bequest that history has offered to us.

To support this position further he draws on information from contemporary literature. It was “Lady

Chatterley’s Lover” where Lawrence endeavoured to show the goodness of sex. However, from this watershed has run many a stream which can only be described as “dirty sex.” Many have perverted the mind of D. H. Lawrence to such an extent that they assert that he is the father of contemporary pornography. It is such writings as these that are giving sex an absolute transcendent authority and because it is so falsely defined” it must lead to the decay of our civilisation, and the unhappiness of man. The criteria for the author’s judgment are twofold. The first is psychologically and sociologically based. On this basis he asserts that man as man knows that sex has only a full meaning when it is subordinate to love. Lust itself is capable of creating a terrifying monster, which is both frightful to the eyes of the beholder and also is the source of mental disorder within the agent himself. This judgment based upon the observation of man individually and corporately is supplemented by the application of the second criterion where man finds his meaning only in the mind of God. Support is thus given to the former natural judgment by the fact that since God is a loving being all the activities of man must be determined by this love of God as known in Jesus Christ. Dr Paul refers repeatedly to the influence of Freud, but he is quite positive that cultural influences have been casually more effective than the Oidepus complex in the formation of sexual mores. Of one thing he is certain and that is that Freud would never countenance the contemporary permissiveness in relation to sexual activity. This work is well worth reading as it does hold up a two-sided mirror. On one side we can see what is happening in our contemporary society and on the other we are able to see the conflict within ourselves. Reflection about both images allows us to predict that the present attitude towards a decivilised sex, if continued, will lead to more and more unhappiness for us all. As this is a presentation that does not in any .way project subjective prejudice but invites us to an examination of evidence one can only urge that all responsible citizens should read and mentally digest the information so wisely culled for our examination.