Even therefore if jealousy has been a beneficial influence at the beginning of civilization, as well as among animals,—­as may probably be admitted, though on the whole it seems rather to be the by-product of a beneficial influence than such an influence itself,—­it is still by no means clear that it therefore becomes a desirable emotion in more advanced stages of civilization.  There are many primitive emotions, like anger and fear, which we do not think it desirable to encourage in complex civilized societies but rather seek to restrain and control, and even if we are inclined to attribute an original value to jealousy, it seems to be among these emotions that it ought to be placed.

Miss Clapperton, in discussing this problem (Scientific Meliorism, pp. 129-137), follows Darwin (Descent of Man, Part I, Ch.  IV) in thinking that jealousy led to “the inculcation of female virtue,” but she adds that it has also been a cause of woman’s subjection, and now needs to be eliminated.  “To rid ourselves as rapidly as may be of jealousy is essential; otherwise the great movement in favor of equality of sex will necessarily meet with checks and grave obstruction.”

Ribot (La Logique des Sentiments, pp. 75 et seq.; Essai sur les Passions, pp. 91, 175), while stating that subjectively the estimate of jealousy must differ in accordance with the ideal of life held, considers that objectively we must incline to an unfavorable estimate “Even a brief passion is a rupture in the normal life; it is an abnormal, if not a pathological state, an excrescence, a parasitism.”

Forel (Die Sexuelle Frage, Ch.  V) speaks very strongly in the same sense, and considers that it is necessary to eliminate jealousy by non-procreation of the jealous.  Jealousy is, he declares, “the worst and unfortunately the most deeply-rooted of the ‘irradiations,’ or, better, the ‘contrast-reactions,’ of sexual love inherited from our animal ancestors.  An old German saying, ’Eifersucht ist eine Leidenschaft die mit Eifer sucht was Leider schafft,’ says by no means too much....  Jealousy is a heritage of animality and barbarism; I would recall this to those who, under the name of ‘injured honor,’ attempt to justify it and place it on a high pedestal.  An unfaithful husband is ten times more to be wished for a woman than a jealous husband....  We often hear of ‘justifiable jealousy.’  I believe, however, that there is no justifiable jealousy; it is always atavistic or else pathological; at the best it is nothing more than a brutal animal stupidity.  A man who, by nature, that is by his hereditary constitution, is jealous is certain to poison his own life and that of his wife.  Such men ought on no account to marry.  Both education and selection should work together to eliminate jealousy as far as possible from the human brain.”

Eric Gillard in an article on “Jealousy”