Jarhyn

I think it has more of an association with sexually repressive cultures than anything else. That and once someone does something so foolish as lopping a bit of their dick off, the only recourse available is to make justifications and excuses so that they can cope with their tragic loss. Thus is born the lie that eventually becomes The Truth^tm in the mind of the person doing the justification. It's kind of like Billy Madison, where "only the cool kids wet their pants".

Jaybees

Physical mutilation is so common all over the world that it makes me wonder if Freud wasn't on to something when he posited a death wish.

The developed world is now reaching a new peak in this technology. Cosmetic surgery, tatooing, piercing, sex change, etc. are now highly advanced art forms. Nobody will be satisfied with the features they're born with. Infinte change will be possible.

PhilosopherJay

Hi Jaybees,

I'm not sure if it is all that enjoyable. It may have had a practical reason in the beginning. I would assume it was a way of marking the first born son, the son entitled to inherit the family wealth.

For example imagine a polygamous, patriarchal family where there are six or seven wives having two or three sons each. Women would be in charge of raising the sons. The father probably only saw the sons a few times in his short 40 year lifespan. It makes sense that he would circumcize the first born son to know who should inherit the patriarch role after he died.

Probably at some point all the wives started doing it to try and have their sons inherit the family wealth. At this point it probably lost its practically as a means of distinguishing the first born. It then became a custom, a pointless exercise that one does because it had been done.

Warmly,

Jay Raskin