The Conception of Sexual Love—­The Attitude of Mediaeval Asceticism—­St. Bernard and St. Odo of Cluny—­The Ascetic Insistence on the Proximity of the Sexual and Excretory Centres—­Love as a Sacrament of Nature—­The Idea of the Impurity of Sex in Primitive Religions Generally—­Theories of the Origin of This Idea—­The Anti-Ascetic Element in the Bible and Early Christianity—­Clement of Alexandria—­St. Augustine’s Attitude—­The Recognition of the Sacredness of the Body by Tertullian, Rufinus and Athanasius—­The Reformation—­The Sexual Instinct Regarded as Beastly—­The Human Sexual Instinct Not Animal-like—­Lust and Love—­The Definition of Love—­Love and Names for Love Unknown in Some Parts of the World—­Romantic Love of Late Development in the White Race—­The Mystery of Sexual Desire—­Whether Love is a Delusion—­The Spiritual as Well as the Physical Structure of the World in Part Built up on Sexual Love The Testimony of Men of Intellect to the Supremacy of Love.

CHAPTER V.

The function of chastity.

Chastity Essential to the Dignity of Love—­The Eighteenth Century Revolt Against the Ideal of Chastity—­Unnatural Forms of Chastity—­The Psychological Basis of Asceticism—­Asceticism and Chastity as Savage Virtues—­The Significance of Tahiti—­Chastity Among Barbarous Peoples—­Chastity Among the Early Christians—­Struggles of the Saints with the Flesh—­The Romance of Christian Chastity—­Its Decay in Mediaeval Times—­Aucassin et Nicolette and the New Romance of Chaste Love—­The Unchastity of the Northern Barbarians—­The Penitentials—­Influence of the Renaissance and the Reformation—­The Revolt Against Virginity as a Virtue—­The Modern Conception of Chastity as a Virtue—­The Influences That Favor the Virtue of Chastity—­Chastity as a Discipline—­The Value of Chastity for the Artist—­Potency and Impotence in Popular Estimation—­The Correct Definitions of Asceticism and Chastity.

CHAPTER VI.

The problem of sexual abstinence.

The Influence of Tradition—­The Theological Conception of Lust—­Tendency of These Influences to Degrade Sexual Morality—­Their Result in Creating the Problem of Sexual Abstinence—­The Protests Against Sexual Abstinence—­Sexual Abstinence and Genius—­Sexual Abstinence in Women—­The Advocates of Sexual Abstinence—­Intermediate Attitude—­Unsatisfactory Nature of the Whole Discussion—­Criticism of the Conception of Sexual Abstinence—­Sexual Abstinence as Compared to Abstinence from Food—­No Complete Analogy—­The Morality of Sexual Abstinence Entirely Negative—­Is It the Physician’s Duty to Advise Extra-Conjugal Sexual Intercourse?—­Opinions of Those Who Affirm or Deny This Duty—­The Conclusion Against Such Advice—­The Physician Bound by the Social and Moral Ideas of His Age—­The Physician as Reformer—­Sexual Abstinence and Sexual Hygiene—­Alcohol—­The Influence of Physical and Mental
Exercise—­The Inadequacy of Sexual Hygiene in This Field—­The Unreal
Nature of the Conception of Sexual Abstinence—­The Necessity of Replacing
It by a More Positive Ideal.