SEX-EDUCATION 159 



The answer to this objection is that it may 

 be possible to conserve the mysticism without 

 withholding the instruction which seems to 

 be practically desirable. It touches the 

 imagination, for instance, to show that the 

 sex-impulses have had a long evolution. It 

 may be possible to suggest that in the control 

 of sex-impulses there is an opportunity for 

 disciplining body and mind, and enriching 

 the whole personality. In any case, it can 

 be shown that the recognition of a certain 

 mystery in sex rests oh its sacredness, not on 

 there being anything shameful about it. 



It is often said that in previous generations 

 men and women got on very well without this 

 " fad " of sex-education. But the question 

 is, whether they really did ! It has to be 

 remembered, moreover, that there has been 

 in the last half-century a marked weakening 

 of family control, and that in manufacturing 

 centres especially the emigration from the 

 home begins very early. Religious control 

 has also slackened throughout large sections 

 of the population. And as to the alleged 

 absence of sex-instruction in the past, it should 

 be remembered that in many primitive peoples 

 there are elaborate initiation courses. 



IN FAVOUR OF SEX INSTRUCTION. The 

 question before us is whether it is desirable 

 to try to instruct young people in reference 

 to the facts of sex. No one will wisely give a 

 dogmatic answer to this question, for the basis 

 of experiment is still very narrow. The 

 question is raised because there is so much 

 evil in connection with sex foulness of 

 thought and speech, pruriency, indecency, 



