Prostitution in Europe / by Abraham Flexner.

  • Abraham Flexner
Date:
1919
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Prostitution in Europe / by Abraham Flexner. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    14/312 page 10
    In the countries just specified, neither law nor opinion is strictly homogeneous: in consequence, the phenomena under consideration respond to differ- ences of viewpoint or pressure by somewhat altering their external manifestations. None the less at bottom the situation is sufficiently similar to support the generalized method of treatment which has been adopted in this book. Distinctions will not be ignored; but on the whole it will appear that they serve rather to emphasize fundamental agreement. Recent investigation, indeed, tends to show that such agreement is of far wider scope than is here assumed ; for in prostitution, if nowhere else, the old adage holds—‘‘ There is nothing new under the sun.’’ The source-books of both ancient and medieval worlds disclose an amazing identity with modern times in this melancholy respect. Such differences as still persist—in regard to view- point, form, or public policy,—are, at least in the area here dealt with, in a fair way to disappear. The progress of democratic thought and government, in- creasingly easy and unobstructed trading, the advance of industrialism with the revision of the ethical code following in the wake of practical sex equality, finally, even deliberate imitation are rapidly developing decided homogeneity of attitude and effort in reference to many fundamental human con- cerns. The student of the particular subject with which we are occupied is, therefore, nowadays, more and more likely to be struck by the uniformity of
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