The elements of social science, or, physical, sexual and natural religion : an exposition of the true cause and only cure of the three primary social evils, poverty, prostitution, and celibacy / by a doctor of medicine.

  • Drysdale, George R., 1825-1904
Date:
1879
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The elements of social science, or, physical, sexual and natural religion : an exposition of the true cause and only cure of the three primary social evils, poverty, prostitution, and celibacy / by a doctor of medicine. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    30/628 (page 6)
    should be sought after, and valued no less than beauty and power of min4. Is the development of the brain to be the supreme object of man’s aspira- tions ? A fuller wisdom will show us, that we must value equally all our parts, since no one can thrive alone. Ugliness and bodily imperfection or deformity are always marks of sin, and show us that some error has been committed, or that we have not duly sought after bodily excellence. Physical beauty, whose expression forms the glorious ideal of the painter and sculptor, is as high an aim as any other that could be proposed. For it is inseparably associated in nature’s plan with all other beauties and powers, and we can attain to truth just as surely by following beauty, as by any other path. In fact all the ideals of man which are founded on a reality in nature, are equally infinite, and therefore equally capable of forming a religion. For there is not one religion, but as many religions as there are parts of nature to absorb us in their pursuit. The real re- ligion of each man is that pursuit and that idea, which most holds his heart, and which awakens in him a lofty enthusiasm. It is the percep- tion and feeling of the infinite, and our duty to aspire to it, to which the name of religion has ever been given. Unfortunate the pursuit and those who follow it, which has not its own equally recognised and equally reverenced religion. Spiritualism is at present the great obstacle to this recognition ; to the extension of the idea of Catholic humanity, which is now pervading the civilised world ; the equal reverence for all men and for all parts of nature. It is the prevailing error of past and present times, and is not confined to our own country merely, but extends perhaps over all the globe. It is the true aristocratic element in our society, which interposes its chilling barriers between men’s hearts, for where there is not equal mutual reverence, there cannot long be true love. Itself at first an advancing revolution, it has now become a stationary despotism. It has shown no quarter to its opponent materialism, which at present as a theory can scarcely be said to exist in the world, and is not therefore much to be dreaded as an evil. It is spiritualism, that men of our age have to fear, and do what tuey may, tney will find it almost impossible to extricate themselves from its prejudicing influence, so subtly is it interwoven in all our thoughts and feelings. For the man who has not paid equal attention to physical pur- suits, and to the study of the human body in its varied phases of health and disease, must be a spiritualist, and his unequal knowledge of the dif- ferent parts of our nature, while it shows his preference for the one, will bias and falsify all his views on man as a whole. As all parts of our nature are of equal perfection, and therefore all equally claim our reverence, it cannot be for a moment allowed, that the so-called animal passions are of au inferior kind to the spiritual. They exercise an influence on man just as divine as any other, and shape and mould the human character as powerfully and as nobly. It is not the place of man to say:—“This part of my nature is more beautiful or more noble than another, let me therefore cultivate it chiefly.” llis duty is to study to perceive an equal beauty in all, and to endeavour that all shall be duly and eoually developed.