A Problem in Modern Ethics by John Addington Symonds delves into the complexities of morality and ethics in the modern world. Symonds raises thought-provoking questions about how societal norms and individual beliefs can conflict, leading to ethical dilemmas that are not easily resolved.

Through a series of essays, Symonds challenges readers to reconsider their own ethical code and confront the nuances of right and wrong in a rapidly changing society. He explores the tension between societal expectations and personal integrity, highlighting the difficulty of adhering to one's principles in the face of societal pressure.

Symonds' writing is both eloquent and persuasive, drawing readers into a deep exploration of ethics that forces them to confront their own beliefs and values. While some may find his arguments challenging and uncomfortable, they ultimately lead to a greater understanding of the complexities of ethical decision-making in the modern world.

Overall, A Problem in Modern Ethics is a compelling and thought-provoking read that raises important questions about morality, integrity, and the preservation of one's personal values in a world that often demands compromise. Symonds' insightful analysis is sure to spark meaningful conversations and encourage readers to reflect on their own ethical beliefs.

Book Description:

“Society lies under the spell of ancient terrorism and coagulated errors. Science is either wilfully hypocritical or radically misinformed.”

John Addington Symonds struck many an heroic note in this courageous (albeit anonymously circulated) essay. He is a worthy Virgil guiding the reader through the Inferno of suffering which emerging medico-legal definitions of the sexually deviant were prepared to inflict on his century and on the one which followed. Symonds pleads for sane human values in a world of Urnings, Dionings, Urano-Dionings and Uraniasters – in short, the whole paraphernalia of Victorian taxonomies and undigested Darwinism which, superimposed on the “terrorism” of religion, labelled and to some extent created the specimen “homosexual.”

A discussion of the “manly love” poems of Walt Whitman leads the author to speculate on a better future for the criminalised mutual passions of men; yet he is obliged to defer the dream, for “the world cannot be invited to entertain it.” (Introduction by Martin Geeson)