CHAPTER V


OUR MORAL STANDARDS


There are at least three moral standards in existence in the English
world. There is first the Christian standard, for which men and women
are equal, which recognizes the sacredness of personality in every
case, and which calls for absolute continence and chastity before
marriage and absolute fidelity after it. This is the standard I am
concerned to understand and defend.

There is, secondly, the legal standard, for which men and women have
not equal rights, but which, in the marriage and divorce laws, accords
to woman an inferior position--which takes no cognizance of immorality
between unmarried persons unless children result and which, in England
as distinguished from Scotland, attaches no penalties to infidelity on
the part of a husband.

And then, thirdly, there is the working moral standard of society. I
cannot describe it because it differs so greatly in different sections
of society. In general it has to be said that it treats lack of
chastity among unmarried men as a very venial offence and punishes the
same offence in women with very severe social penalties; and it may
certainly be said that it has not yet demanded a full recognition by
the law of the equality of the sexes in the matter of moral and married