Stats
One of my readers asks for some evidence that the sexual revolution has led to the various social pathologies which mar the modern age.
I hope I can be forgiven for treated the request rather lightheartedly, because I am sure that if that reader merely speaks to his grandmother, he will have a sufficient basis of evidence to make up his mind on the issue.
I hope we can agree, in the abstract, that marriage was instituted for the purpose of preventing the promiscuous intercourse of the sexes, for promoting domestic felicity, and for securing the maintenance and education of children. The sexual revolution, by promoting fornication and adultery and divorce, decreases the sanctity and the frequency of marriage, and increases the rate of divorce.
Statistically, the best indicator that a couple will end in divorce is if they begin by cohabiting without marriage.
Statistically again, the best indicator that a spouse will commit adultery is premarital sex. In other words, even if fornication were not blameworthy in and of itself, fornication would still be a warning sign telling prospective mates to look elsewhere for marriage partners.
The relationship between adultery and divorce is plain enough, since this is the prime and classical cause for divorce.
Hence, taken these finding together, we see that the sexual revolution by promoting fornication and cohabitation also promotes adultery and divorce. So far in the argument, I make no claim as to cause and effect: I am merely pointing out that the statistics show a correlation.
Divorce and fornication increases the incidence of single mothers raising children which correlates to the number of children from fatherless homes.
Here are some numbers. Children from fatherless homes, according to federal statistics, are
- 14 times more likely to commit rape,
- 32 times more likely to run away from home,
- 20 times more likely to have behavioral disorders,
- five times more likely to commit suicide,
- ten times more likely to abuse chemical substances and
- 20 times more likely to end up in prison.
And without the widespread use of contraception, the sexual revolution, which is the attempt to make fornication a normal and socially accepted practice, founders on the imprudence of risking pregnancy. Contraception by design lowers the moral hazard of pregnancy, and this makes the normalization of fornication possible, which in turn correlates to the rise in the social pathologies listed above.
About John C Wright
John C. Wright is a practicing philosopher, a retired attorney, newspaperman, and newspaper editor, and a published author of science fiction. Once a Houyhnhnm, he was expelled from the august ranks of purely rational beings when he fell in love; but retains an honorary title.
