A past period of civilisation can be traced in the life of
every fully developed man, and _vice versa_ the stages in the life of
the individual point the way in history.
If it can be established that the fundamental emotions of the human
heart originated in historical time, the widely spread, but unproved,
theory that everything great and decisive existed from the beginning
will be contradicted. The other complementary assertion that nothing
which once existed ever quite disappears, must be admitted; nothing
perishes in the soul of man; its position with regard to the whole is
merely shifted by newly intervening motives and values; and even when
it does not change its fundamental character, it becomes a different
thing in the whole complex of the soul. Sexuality, which in the remote
past was a matter of course, unassailable by doubt, became problematical
and demoniacal as soon as it entered into relationship with the new
factors of erotic life. An existence in harmony with nature was possible
as long as the human race was still in evolution, and not yet conscious
of itself.
Pages:
493
494
495
496
497
498
499
500
501
502
503
504
505
506
507
508
509
510
511
512
513
514
515
516
517