父親の効用とは何か?
子供を父親からばかりではなく,母親からも引き離そうというプラトンの提案には,あまりとりえはないように思われる(とりえがあるとは思われない)。先に述べた理由から,私の考えでは,親の愛情は子供の発育に絶対必要(必須)なものであり,この愛情を片親からだけ受けとることで十分かも知れないが,どちらからも受けとれないとしたら,確実に,きわめて遺憾なこと(悲しむべきこと)だろう。 我々が第一の関心事としている性道徳の観点からすれば,重要な問いは,父親の効用(とは何か)である。これに関しては,何か明確に(積極的に)言うことは非常に困難であるが,結論は,次のようなものと思われる。即ち,幸運な場合は,父親にはある限られた有用性があるが,不運な場合は,父親は,暴虐,短気,喧嘩好き性格のために,役に立つよりも害をなす方が多い,ということである。子供の心理の観点からすれば,父親擁護論は,それゆえ,あまり強力なものではない。 |
Chapter XIV: The Family in Individual Psychology, n.7What has just been said depends upon the supposition of a convention quite different from that obtaining at present. Where a convention exists, children suffer through its being infringed, since there is hardly anything so painful to a child as the feeling of being in any way odd. This consideration applies to divorce in our present society. A child who has been used to two parents and has become attached to them both finds a divorce between them destructive of his whole sense of security. Indeed, he is likely in these circumstances to develop phobias and other nervous disorders. When once a child has become attached to both his parents, they take a very grave responsibility if they separate. I think, therefore, that a society in which fathers have no place would be better for children than one in which divorce is frequent though still regarded as exceptional.I do not see much to be said for Plato's proposal to separate children from their mothers as well as from their fathers. For the reasons already mentioned, I think that parental affection is essential to a child's development, and that while it might suffice to receive this affection only from one parent, it would certainly be very regrettable if it were not received from either. From the point of view of sexual morals, which is that with which we are primarily concerned, the important question is the utility of the father. As to this, while it is very difficult to say anything positively, the conclusion seems to be that in fortunate cases he has a certain limited usefulness, while in unfortunate cases he may easily, by tyranny and ill-temper and a quarrelsome disposition, do far more harm than good. The case for fathers, from the point of view of children's psychology, is not therefore a very strong one. |