The Marriage of Near Kin: Considered With Respect to the Law of Nations, the Results of Experience, and the Teachings of Biology (Classic Reprint) - Softcover

Alfred Henry Huth

 
9781334214141: The Marriage of Near Kin: Considered With Respect to the Law of Nations, the Results of Experience, and the Teachings of Biology (Classic Reprint)

Synopsis

This book examines the history of marriage customs regarding consanguinity up to the 19th century. Through its analysis of ancient laws and religious practices, it reveals that the author's contemporary society's prohibitions against marrying close relatives is a relatively recent cultural development. The author examines the reasons why certain societies prohibited marriages between certain closely-related groups and argues that these customs were motivated by social norms and religious beliefs of the time and were not based on scientific or medical knowledge about the health risks of such unions. The question of whether marrying within close family groups is in fact biologically dangerous is only a narrow part of this book's overall objective, which is to show that these marriage prohibitions have primarily served a social purpose.

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