SEX AND SOCIAL RELATIONS 213 



wishes and feelings of their life companions. The 

 finer sympathy and understanding and the deep de- 

 votion which are often the spiritual fruition of the 

 monogamous relation are impossible where a man 

 has several wives. Where men and women experi- 

 ence this beautiful outcome of monogamy, they learn 

 to prize it, and this is the surest guarantee of the 

 higher races against a return to polygamy. The 

 firm establishment of monogamy in reality expresses 

 the slow and difficult triumph of women over the 

 brutality and selfishness of men. This triumph is 

 yet far from complete, and its extension to larger and 

 larger groups of people is one of the chief means and 

 ends of human progress. Only the atrophy of altru- 

 istic feeling can lead to the abandonment of the 

 institution of marriage between one man and one 

 woman. 



What is the bearing of these facts on the liberty of 

 action of individual married persons with respect to 

 friendships and attachments to persons of opposite 

 sex ? The growth of trust and love between married 

 persons is no real hindrance to the establishment of 

 such friendships and attachments, but, on the con- 

 trary, serves to promote them. Where love and 

 trust are lacking, it must often happen that unrea- 

 sonable restrictions are placed on the freedom of 

 association, and this jealousy can only do harm 

 because it limits the best and fullest development of 

 the partners in marriage. But whatever freedom of 

 action is permitted, it is the verdict of society that 



