The Importance Of Male Masturbation In The Renaissance

During the Early Modern years, or the Renaissance (which ranged from approximately 1450-1700 AD), most of the social standards were heavily influenced by the church. Those who were highly educated and capable of reading and writing were taught in religious schoolings, with the primary focus of being able to pass on said teachings. This means that many of the Early Modern writers would prohibit anything that was not condoned by the church, and sexuality is a subject that clearly falls that jurisdiction. This refusal to acknowledge anything considered sinful is a perfect explanation as to why these Early Modern writers may have prohibited masturbation in their works. It was believed at this time that sex was a necessary evil that should only …show more content…
This perpetuates the idea that women were considered objects who only had one job, to provide a child for her partner. It also express the notion that male pleasure is highly valued, while female pleasure is inherently sinful. Furthermore, the shame that exudes from the idea of a female expressing her own sexuality and pleasure has lead to the stigma associated with female masturbation that is still experienced today, while male masturbation is generally more accepted as far more natural than that of females. In today’s society, the discussion and/or representation of female masturbation in real life as well as in the media is often depicted in a way that is appealing to men. This preludes that even in today’s ‘liberated’ society, female sexuality is still heavily influenced and regulated by male pleasure. Some persons believe that today’s society is vastly different from the religious standards expressed in the past, however the stigmatization of female masturbation expressed nowadays proves that the ideals expressed in the past will continue to influence present and future