Sexual openness and sexual conservatism are two entirely different routes, each producing fundamentally different social impacts. Both are subject to the ruling class’s strategic choice. The process of shifting public attitudes inevitably generates ideological rifts and personal dilemmas.
Here, I will outline the social impacts under each choice. Historical data—once researched, summarized, and organized—can form the backbone of a complete article. In broad strokes: prehistoric society and early civilizations were open; the Middle Ages to the modern era saw repression; today, the world is reopening, yet some regions remain conservative, resulting in torn and contradictory attitudes.
Prehistoric Society: Instinctive Freedom In prehistoric times, human instincts were unrestrained by feudal moral codes. Sexual freedom fueled population growth, increased labor output, boosted resource production, and improved the tribe’s collective survival capability. Since “collectivism” as an ideological consensus had not yet formed, there was no practical reason to suppress sexuality—doing so would only hand over survival advantages to other human groups. In simple terms: the goal was rapid population growth (“mass troops”), construction, material accumulation, and resilience against nature. Repression at this stage would have led to extinction by the natural environment, leaving no “later history.” Thus, chastity codes, morality doctrines, property rights, family names—anything obstructing survival and growth—were absent. The ruling decision here was to live and resist nature.
Early Civilizations: Cultural Flourishing under Openness Early civilizations saw the accumulation of surplus resources, enabling construction, sculpture, painting, writing, poetry, music, philosophy, science, and legal codes. While war existed, sexuality was not a primary target of control. These societies still required population growth, and centralized feudal authority had yet to fully take shape. The real threats were external; internally, expansion through reproduction was the priority. Civilizations that reached a certain surplus inevitably turned to war and territorial expansion. Ancient Greek nude sculptures are famous examples—but behind this cultural brilliance were wars and slavery. Even so, ordinary people’s sexuality remained relatively open. The ruling decision here was to develop, build, and expand.
Japan: A Case without Strong Historical Repression Japan’s history shows no strong, systematic sexual repression. As a resource-poor nation, choosing sexual conservatism would have meant a direct risk of being wiped out by nature. The Emperor often lacked real political power, while regional warlords were locked in cycles of expansion and defense. Expansion required population; repressing sexuality would have undermined the ability to “mass troops.” This helps explain the persistence of openness, and how Japan’s sex industry developed: as cities grew, samurai, artisans, and merchants increased, creating gender imbalances that fueled demand for sexual services. Unreleased desires can drive people to madness. Thus, Japan’s ruling decision was no repression, leading to a modern sex industry that thrives, even as “normal relationships” have narrowed.
Feudal Era: Moral Power as Control In the feudal era, political and religious authorities (imperial power, the Church) sought to consolidate stability. With moral discourse in hand, they began to frame sexuality in terms of morality and social order—a latent repression. Physical control over every individual was impractical, so “soft power” shaped public thought before “hard power” enforced it. Beneficiaries were middle- and upper-class men, who gained more stable sexual access. Losers were the majority of women and lower-class men—women lost their freedom to choose partners; lower-class men lost almost all sexual opportunities.
Examples:
East Asia: women caught in adultery drowned in “pig cages.”
Europe: enforced chastity belts.
Middle East: strict dress codes prohibiting female exposure.
Marriage, as soft power, restricted women while presenting itself as moral order. Extreme controls included physical confinement, foot binding, and palace harems. The ruling choice here was conservatism, useful for stability but relaxed when population growth was needed.
Renaissance: Cracks in Conservatism The Renaissance broke the Church’s ideological monopoly. The Black Death acted as a catalyst, killing one-third of Europe’s population. Believers began questioning the Church’s inability to save them: If God is merciful, why is He unmoved by human suffering? If God enjoys human suffering, why continue to worship? This philosophical and theological challenge weakened religious authority, prompting the rise of humanism. Marriage shifted from property ownership toward a rational cooperative contract. Societies untouched by the plague progressed more slowly. Here, rulers could no longer fully enforce conservatism—public values had shifted under the shock of mass death.
Industrial Revolution to Modern Wars: Acceleration of Change With religion weakened, monarchies consolidated power, leading into the Industrial Revolution. Small wars and revolutions alone didn’t drastically change sexual attitudes—but World War I and II did. Tens of millions of deaths forced people to reflect: Is the “nation,” “collective,” or “dogma” worth dying for? The White Feather Movement further pushed public opinion.
Renaissance = first acceleration of openness.
World Wars = second acceleration.
In 1948, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights marked a turning point. Europe institutionalized sexual education, legalized red-light districts, promoted contraception, and advanced gender equality. Sex shifted from “private shame” to “personal health and rights.” At this point, rulers could no longer fully dictate sexual norms.
Conservatism in the Modern Age: A Political Tool In culturally conservative regions, sexual morality is still used to:
Divert attention from crises.
Legitimize ruling authority.
“Clean up vice” to build a moral image.
By stigmatizing sex, leaders control not just physical behavior but also thought, autonomy, and independence. Suppression fosters obedience and stability, creating a controllable collective.
Conclusion: How Long Can Conservatism Last? In the information age, sexual conservatism faces unprecedented challenges. Yet, crises can prompt temporary reversals—openness is not irreversible.
Ruler’s Choice – Cost/Benefit Table
Choice Advantages Disadvantages
Openness Population boom, labor expansion, external expansion potential
Diverse ideologies, harder social control
Conservatism Stable order, resources concentrated in upper classes
Limited population growth, long-term economic stagnation, accumulated ideological conflict