A Nudist's Diary
This is a group where members enjoy to write and read experiences in nudity.
- created by suhritnew
Who is your favorite philosopher ?.......(on nakedness)
Return to DiscussionsMine is Bertrand Russell. This is what he had to say on nudity: as quoted from his book 'Marriage and morals' published in 1929
The taboo against nakedness is an obstacle to a decent attitude on the subject of sex. Where young children are concerned, this is now recognized by many people. It is good for children to see each other and their parents naked whenever it so happens naturally. There will be a short period, probably at about three years old, when the child is interested in the differences between his father and his mother, and compares them with the differences between himself and his sister, but this period is soon over, and after this he takes no more interest in nudity than in clothes. So long as parents are unwilling to be seen naked by their children, the children will necessarily have a sense that there is a mystery, and having that sense they will become prurient and indecent.There is only one way to avoid indecency, and that is to avoid mystery. The taboo against nakedness is an obstacle to a decent attitude on the subject of sex.
There are also many important grounds of health in favour of nudity in suitable circumstances, such as out-of-doors in sunny weather. Sunshine on the bare skin has an exceedingly health-giving effect. Moreover anyone who has watched children running about in the open-air without their clothes must have been struck by the fact that they hold themselves much better and move more freely and more gracefully than when they are dressed. The same thing is true of grown-up people.The proper place for nudity is out-of-doors in the sunshine and in the water. If our conventions allowed of this, it would soon cease to make any sexual appeal; we should all hold ourselves better, we should be healthier from the contact of air and sun with the skin, and our standards of beauty would more nearly coincide with standards of health, since they would concern themselves with the body and its carriage, not only with the face. In this respect the practice of the Greeks was to be commended.
My favorite philosophical films of all time is The
Matrix.
Wait a minute , this has got nothing to do with nakedness right ?
It a movie packed with spectacular action , groundbreaking events
and sci-fi violence.
But there is a memorable quote in the movie that always assures me
of the right path I have taken when I decided to explore
naturism.It is when Morpheus tells Neo:'This is you last chance.
After this, there is no turning back. You take the blue pill - the
story ends, you wake up in your bed and believe whatever you want
to believe. You take the red pill - you stay in wonderland and I
show you how deep the rabbit-hole goes'.
When I
decided to opt for naturism, I felt that I swallowed the red pill
as my life took a different meaning and perspective. I understood
what real freedom is. I felt the divine spark at being one with
nature. I understood clearly how it is the conditioning shame of
the human body that drives the fear of nakedness in
society.
The dialogue between Morpheus and Neo when he defines what the
matrix is , is another further splendid elaboration of Plato's
allegory of cave.
People who seek - glory , recognition , acceptance, status, class , fashion, fame , attention , authority ,
pride, youthful extravagance, vanity, deceit, thought
control, popularity , ambition, , power ,
conformity , false religious consolations , racial superiority
- are all part of the matrix and prisoners of their own
minds. They are likely to find it difficult to take the red pill of
naturism as the exposure of their naked body would show them what
'reality' actually consists of and painfully remind them how futile
and illusive their goals are.
Morpheus: I imagine that right now, you're feeling a bit
like Alice. Hmm? Tumbling down the rabbit hole?:
Neo: You could say that
Morpheus.: I see it in your eyes. You have the look of a man
who accepts what he sees because he is expecting to wake up.
Ironically, that's not far from the truth. Do you believe in fate,
Neo?
Neo: No.
Morpheus: Why not?
Neo: Because I don't like the idea that I'm not in control
of my life.
Morpheus: I know *exactly* what you mean. Let me tell you
why you're here. You're here because you know something. What you
know you can't explain, but you feel it. You've felt it your entire
life, that there's something wrong with the world. You don't know
what it is, but it's there, like a splinter in your mind, driving
you mad. It is this feeling that has brought you to me. Do you know
what I'm talking about?
Neo: The Matrix.
Morpheus: Do you want to know what it is?
Neo: Yes.
Morpheus: The Matrix is everywhere. It is all around us. Even
now, in this very room. You can see it when you look out your
window or when you turn on your television. You can feel it when
you go to work... when you go to church... when you pay your taxes.
It is the world that has been pulled over your eyes to blind you
from the truth.: What truth?: That you are a slave, Neo.
Like everyone else you were born into bondage. Into a prison that
you cannot taste or see or touch. A prison for your mind.
Dear Socrates ,
I would really like to thank you for the famous dictum you gave us,
that 'the unexamined life is not worth living'. It gave me the
courage and the inspiration to follow the paths of
naturism......and there is no turning back !
Thank you,Adam reborn in the 21st Century
I don't know how Sir Kenneth Clarke would have felt if I included him as a great philosopher for my study on nakedness. He was more recognised as an art historian.
But his personal beliefs he outlines in the closing scene of the last episode on Civilization is so beautiful eloquent and fits so perfectly with the basic creed of naturism - we are part of nature , we must show respect and be courteous to every person (even those who disagree with us) , we must show sympathy to everyone's unfortunate plight , we should avoid violence , wars and all other types of destructive and negative behavior,
Here it is.....
'I believe that order is better than chaos, creation better than destruction. I prefer gentleness to violence, forgiveness to vendetta. On the whole I think knowledge is preferable to ignorance, and I am sure that human sympathy is more valuable than ideology.I believe that in spite of the recent triumphs, men haven't changed much in the last two thousand years; and in consequence we must still learn from history. History is ourselves. I also hold one or two beliefs that are more difficult to put shortly. For example I believe in courtesy, the ritual by which we avoid hurting other people's feelings by satisfying our own egos. And I think we should remember that we are a part of a great whole which for convenience we call nature. All living things are our brothers and sisters.'