Psychology of Sex

Author: [British] E. H. P. Chao
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 1997-04-01
Features: Reprint of Pan Guangdan's translation and annotations of Havelock Ellis's Psychology of Sex, with postscript by Fei Xiaotong
I read this book from cover to cover. As I turned each page, I found it increasingly familiar and moving, constantly evoking memories of events from half a century ago. Pan Guangdan began translating and annotating this book in November 1939 and completed it in November 1941, a full two years. These two years were the early days of the War of Resistance, during which he taught at Southwest Associated University in Kunming. I arrived in Kunming in 1938 and, about a year later, joined Pan as a professor at Yunnan University, mainly conducting rural surveys around Dianchi Lake in Yunnan before 1943. Later, we were scattered in different rural areas and had few opportunities to meet. I never saw him at work while translating this book. Five years after the translation was completed, it was first published in Chongqing in April 1946 and reprinted in Shanghai in October of the same year. After the war's victory in 1945, both of us moved to Kunming City and participated in the democratic movement of that period. When the book was first published in Chongqing, Pan and I had already left Yunnan together and were living in Huishuoguan, Jiangsu, for the summer. By the time the book was reprinted in Shanghai, I had already gone abroad to revisit Britain. Until then, I still had no chance to see the book. Otherwise, when I was editing the manuscript of The System of Birth in Huishuoguan, I would have certainly mentioned Ellis's work. I first encountered this book in the spring of 1947, when I returned to China and taught together with Pan at the Department of Sociology at Tsinghua University. Counting the years since then, it has been nearly forty-nine years since we last met this book. Of course, when Pan decided to translate and annotate it, I was already studying at the Tsinghua Research Institute from 1933 to 1935, like other students under his tutelage. We had long heard about it from his words and all looked forward to its realization, for Ellis was a renowned British writer, and his works were quite challenging for students of our level at the time, let alone fully comprehensible. Pan's decision to translate and annotate this book stemmed from his deep admiration for Ellis's scholarship, which he described as a "private reverence." Private reverence refers to the respect and admiration one holds for a scholar without having personally studied under them, treating them as a mentor. In my view, Ellis's scholarship indeed served as a significant source of Pan's academic thought throughout his life. As he wrote in the self-titled poem for this book, "Once love is known, all troubles cease." From his path of professional training, it is clear that this master guided him into the academic garden: In 1922, Pan went abroad to study biology at Dartmouth College in New Hampshire, USA. In 1924, he entered Columbia University in New York to study zoology, paleontology, and genetics. He attended summer study programs in various places during these two years, learning anthropology, eugenics, and even single-cell biology. This course of study fully reflects his interest in exploring the path to strengthening the Chinese nation through eugenics, laying a solid scientific foundation for this goal. After returning to China, the courses he taught and all his writings can be said to revolve around the core of "improving the quality of the nation." If one were to ask where this interest came from, apart from his patriotism and love for the nation, it must be attributed to the guidance of this private reverence master in his early years. Pan himself claimed to have encountered Ellis's works in 1920, when he was twenty years old and studying at Tsinghua School's higher division. Ellis's six-volume Studies in the Psychology of Sex struck this young man deeply. Like a seed planted in fertile soil, new shoots grew within a couple of years. In his "Method of Chinese Historical Study" class with the great scholar Liang Qichao, he wrote a thesis combining Ellis's theories with Chinese historical documents, titled The Examination of Feng Xiaqing, which later became the draft for the book Feng Xiaqing published by the Crescent Moon Press in 1927. It took great courage to submit such a thesis, which might have been seen as "unconventional" or at least "not serious" in the eyes of others, before such a master. What was even more remarkable was that in the early years of the Republic of China, this master praised him with the words, "For your meticulous observation of certain aspects." I do not know if Liang's recognition of Pan began with this thesis, but it undoubtedly left a deep impression on him, revealing the potential of this young scholar. Later, on another thesis submitted by Pan, he wrote: "With your talent, whether in literature, science, or politics, you could achieve great success, but I hope you do not follow my way of being overly broad." Some believed that Pan advocated a well-rounded education and practiced it, suggesting he did not take this advice to heart. I, however, disagree. Broad refers to a river flowing out of its channel, but Pan's extensive and profound academic thought never deviated from his chosen path of "strengthening the nation through eugenics." Precisely because he did not let his talents "widen," even after losing a leg, he remained steadfast, absorbing the essence of biological science abroad and laying a solid foundation for his research on improving the nation's quality upon returning. Tracing the origins of Pan's academic path reveals the profound influence of his private reverence master, Ellis. Ellis was a brilliant figure in British literature in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, once hailed as "a civilized Englishman." Born in 1859, the same year as Darwin's On the Origin of Species, he was fifty years younger than Darwin and forty years older than Pan. He died in 1939, shortly after the outbreak of World War II. The year of publication of his autobiography My Life coincided with the time Pan was immersed in translating and annotating this book. In the 1880s, as a young literary critic, Ellis gained fame overnight after being recognized by the great writer Thomas Hardy and entered the British literary scene. He edited the "Human and Fish Drama Series," but was forced out by conservative forces. He was not only a literary figure but also a scientist with rigorous medical training. He proposed and edited the "Modern Science Series," making significant contributions to science popularization in Britain. Of course, his greatest contribution to his time was his research on sex psychology and the scientific foundation for sex education. With his fluent and varied writing style, he disseminated rigorous scientific knowledge,ing a new academic tradition and leaving a legacy that was praised by later generations. His life was not without struggles. As he wrote in the preface to My Life, "All writing is a continuous struggle. Every morning, a truly active author must conquer all obstacles to achieve freedom of expression. Along the way, a dense army of tradition and hypocrisy awaits to attack every carefree traveler." He then added, "In Britain and other countries, at least for two centuries, there has been a period of stagnation that fails to reflect the vibrant realities of life. They are afraid of stepping beyond the boundaries set by the 'upper class' to control people." He said, "I cannot accept these moral codes." He certainly broke free from the traditional social morality of 19th-century Britain. He was forced to resign as editor of the "Human and Fish Drama Series," and his English edition of Studies in the Psychology of Sex was immediately bought and destroyed by bookstores, forcing this seminal work on the foundation of sex psychology research to be published in Germany and first meet the world. Ellis was ultimately a victor. In the preface to My Life, he wrote, "Sometimes my life feels like walking with bleeding feet to the of Christ's suffering. Wherever my feet have trod, fragrant roses have bloomed. I have already tasted the joy of paradise in every aspect. A tranquil understanding holds my heart. The life's work I had planned in my youth has been completed in half a century, and the comfort it has given me exceeds all my dreams." His suffering and comfort, of course, were achieved through his personal will and relentless effort, but only in his time could his work bring him such torment and reward. What era did he live in? I specifically mentioned his birth year in connection with Darwin's On the Origin of Species earlier, as it was a pivotal moment in history. The author of Outline of World History, H. G. Wells, used 1848 as a benchmark to divide the 19th century into two periods. In the early period, the mechanical and industrial revolutions in some advanced countries of the West were complete, productivity had greatly developed, but the ideology had not kept pace. However, in the later period, "a powerful new social, religious, and political entered the hearts of ordinary Europeans." The of European social and ideological consciousness at the time was the worldviews supported by religion, such as the theory of divine creation. The major historical significance of Darwin's On the Origin of Species lay in its role as a pioneer of new thought, breaking through the blockade of traditional ideology. Darwin included humans in the same evolutionary system as all other organisms, making them an object of objective scientific research. This was the key to the humanism that emerged in the second half of the 19th century in Europe. Darwin broke through this major barrier. Thirty-five years later, Ellis published his work on gender issues, Man and Woman. However, thirty-five years was still not enough to popularize the scientific perspective in society. Ellis's research on human sexuality, like a rose, had to be watered with the blood of the soul until his later years to see his lifelong dream realized. That was already in the early days of World War II, less than half a century ago. Why was the study of human sexuality so difficult to produce? The question of its emergence brings to mind the book The System of Birth I wrote forty years ago. In that book, I mentioned the dual nature of human sexual behavior in relation to the continuity and stability of society. It is easy to understand that human life is finite, and without reproduction and generational succession, society cannot continue. Reproduction is the biological foundation of social continuity. Humans are sexually dimorphic animals, and reproduction must occur through sexual relationships between males and females. Therefore, sexual relationships are a major issue for the survival of society. This is one side. The other side is that sexual relationships also possess the potential to disrupt social structures. "Food and sex are natural desires." Sex is an emotional attraction between men and women that grows out of the biological foundation. If this attraction is allowed to arbitrarily the established relationships within society, it will cause chaos and destruction of social structures, making it impossible for the division of labor system to function stably. Therefore, since the formation of human society, no society has failed to use its social power to strictly control human sexual behavior. That is to say, no society has failed to establish various regulations to limit an individual to engaging in sexual behavior only at certain times, in certain places, and within certain ranges, with certain objects. Generally speaking, to maintain these social regulations, violations are met with strong social sanctions. This is also a major issue in social life. Humans must rely on the biological and psychological functions of sexual behavior to ensure the continuation of the race, the normal operation of social structures, and social development. However, they are also afraid that the emotional attraction of sexual behavior between men and women will disrupt the social structures of established interpersonal relationships, forcing them to restrict individual sexual behavior. This is the dual nature of society's attitude toward sexual relationships between men and women. It seems that as human society develops to a certain stage, the division of labor forms more complex structures, and interpersonal relationships require greater stability and consolidation, the balance of this dual nature shifts, emphasizing the stability of social structures and confining human sexual behavior to a narrow range, even viewing sexual relationships solely as a reproductive function while ignoring the psychological mechanisms of male and female emotions in social life and social development. In fact, such a shift cannot be completely achieved. Sexual relationships are fundamentally a "great desire" rooted in biology. Society seeks to confine this desire to "proper channels," but if these channels cannot satisfy this "great desire," violations will continue to occur. However, what is more serious is that society's suppression of this "great desire" often leads to psychological maladjustments in individuals who grow up under strong social sanctions. The severity of this issue has been fully exposed in modern Western society by what is known as "psychoanalysis." Regardless of one's stance on the theories of psychoanalysis, it must be acknowledged that in contemporary Western modern society, the treatment of mental illness has become a booming profession due to society's restrictions on sexual relationships and the suppression of sex education. I have not studied this issue in China, but to this day, although the dissemination of sex education has been lifted due to the needs of family planning, it is still difficult to say that it has been fundamentally improved due to traditional social influences. Pan's description of his early years still applies today. He said, "Thirty years ago, it was not acceptable to ask parents about sexual issues, nor to consult teachers. The only way was to find books and read them, but not openly, but secretly." The books he refers to are, of course, not "serious" books, so Pan said, "The scientific value of these books can be said to be zero." This shows that our traditional society was essentially the same as Western traditional society. Did traditional Chinese society, like the West, produce various abnormal psychological states due to the suppression of the normal development of individual sexual lives? Pan's Feng Xiaqing and the annotations in this book can answer this question. A more detailed historical picture still awaits further systematic research. The widespread prevalence of mental illness in society today also requires investigation and early scientific verification so that we can use facts to demonstrate the importance of promoting sex education. Pan, like Ellis, believed that the dual nature of society's attitude toward sexual relationships, as mentioned above, is not an irreconcilable contradiction. Both opposed the laissez-faire approach to sexual relationships, as it would lead to serious social problems. However, they also strongly opposed measures of suppression. They not only recognized the adverse effects of suppressing individuals' sexual lives on their physical and psychological well-being but also believed it contradicted the goal of "strengthening the nation through eugenics" and hindered social development. Pan believed that human sexual life should adhere to "embrace passion, observe propriety." That is to say, the "desire" rooted in biological foundations is natural and must develop according to natural evolutionary laws. Artificially suppressing it is not only difficult to implement but will inevitably lead to adverse effects on the body and mind. Ultimately, it will inevitably lead to a path contrary to the goal of "strengthening the nation through eugenics." Individual sexual needs must be met within channels that do not affect the healthy functioning of society. This channel is what Pan refers to as "propriety." The "propriety" here does not refer to the "propriety" of traditional society used to suppress individual sexual lives but rather the social channel that allows individuals to achieve fulfilling sexual lives. This is also what Ellis advocated as the "art of love." The "art of love" does not view sexual life between men and women solely as a biological phenomenon. Human sexual life is not only about completing biological reproduction but also enriching and beautifying the content of human life through emotional connections between the sexes, elevating these relationships to an artistic enjoyment and simultaneously becoming the driving force for society to develop to a higher stage. To achieve this, the first step is to conduct scientific research on sex. Only when scientific understanding of sex is achieved and popularized among the masses can sexual life be raised to an artistic level. This is the main point of Pan's self-titled poem in this book: "To save the tide, there must be a method; first seek profound understanding in the principles of sex." The suppression of sex knowledge has led humanity to ride the blind horse of the blind to this day. Ellis was a pioneer in the scientific study of human sexual relationships based on biology and psychology. He devoted his life to breaking through the obstacles set by traditional ignorance and laid the foundation for the study of human sexuality in the West, providing scientific material for the popularization of sex education. He truly deserves to be called a "civilized Englishman." The one who picked up this torch and brought it to the land of China was Pan. During the War of Resistance, he overcame all living difficulties with the spirit of passing on the torch and finally translated this monumental work into smooth and readable Chinese. Fearing that readers might be unfamiliar with the differences between Eastern and Western cultures, he used his own research findings to provide annotations with relevant Chinese materials. The words between the lines fully reflect his earnest and patient teaching. What drove him to work so tirelessly? Here we can see his loyalty and love for the country and its people. He dedicated his life to the research of "strengthening the nation through eugenics," working diligently without regard for rewards. It is this spirit that guarantees the prosperity of our country and the excellence of our nation. Ten years have passed since Pan's passing. In China's history, these ten years may be the fastest-developing period, transitioning from a closed-country state to a modernized society through opening up and reform. Science and democracy have become the demands of the masses. At this moment, the republication of Pan's Psychology of Sex is not accidental. Although I dare not say that the ice formed by feudal ideology in the field of consciousness has completely melted, and that the "study of sexuality," which has long been a taboo, will be accepted with openness and enthusiasm, I believe that the "dense army of tradition and hypocrisy" Ellis spoke of may have lost its once solid position. The fate of this book is a test of our country's level of civilization. With a change of fortune, I hope that in his afterlife, Pan would soon feel the same sense of tranquil self-consolation as Ellis did in his later years. Fei Xiaotong July 21, 1986
The purpose of this book is not to replace the author's seven larger works but to provide a summary of their content. Some have said that the content of those seven works is mostly about the pathology of sex, which is a mistake. I dare to declare that these seven works differ from previous ones in that they pay special attention to the normal aspects of sexual phenomena. In this regard, this small book is similar to them. In the past, many people with abnormal psychological states came to me to discuss their respective issues, and of course, my research experience was partly based on them, but the main basis was my understanding of normal men and women and the various problems they face in daily life. At the same time, as I have repeatedly said, there is no clear boundary between normal and abnormal; all so-called normal people have some degree of abnormality, with different directions of deviation, but the essence of abnormality is the same; at the same time, so-called abnormal people are also dominated by many basic impulses, just like normal people. This book is concise and is more accessible to medical professionals and students. It was originally written for them. However, everyone has a gender and sexual issues, so the target audience of this book is not limited to the medical field. Some basic facts are familiar to everyone. In this book, I can only provide some clues to guide readers who are eager to delve deeper and face more complex issues in the future. As for these issues themselves, the book aims to be an introduction and therefore cannot fully address them.