Before the 1960s: Tracing America’s Moral Decline to its 1920s Roots
The 1950s was blip, not a norm.
Commentators often point the 1960s as the turning point in the degradation of morals and destruction of the aspiration of the two-parent family. It didn’t decline after the 1960s. The decline happened had already happened by the 1920s. What we saw in America wasn’t not the American norm but an anomaly. James Gillis in this book, The Catholic Church and Home (1928), describes the type of moral decline in the 1920s, namely— the worship of youth and youth culture, divorce and decline in fertility rates, sexual immorality, celebrities promoting alternative sexual mores (in novels and plays), university elites teaching students to devalue and reject monogamy and marriage as the appropriate context for marriage, and the worship if self-centered invidualism. Question: is this is the 1920s or the 2020s.
In his chapter "The Revolt Against Marriage and the Home," James Gillis laments the decline of marriage and the family, emphasizing that these institutions are under threat of abolition, not just a loss of sanctity. He notes that while some conservative individuals dismiss this concern, seeing marriage and family as natural and enduring, others recognize significant social unrest and moral decline.
Gillis identifies different attitudes toward these changes. Some optimists believe that societal issues like divorce and declining sex morality will eventually be resolved, while those who see the era as transitional argue that social institutions must evolve or risk becoming outdated. A third group, impatient with the slow pace of evolution, pushes for rapid revolutionary changes, often using their positions of influence to advocate for these ideas.
He criticizes reformers for focusing on secondary issues like indecent dress and nightlife, suggesting they should target the intellectual and philosophical roots of moral decay instead. Gillis also condemns universities for promoting radical philosophies that destabilize society rather than uphold traditional values.
Gillis argues that the prevalent moral anarchy, driven by radical individualism and the rejection of traditional moral standards, cannot save society. He stresses the need for the Church as a stabilizing force and calls for a cooperative relationship between Church and State to address the moral crisis and safeguard marriage and the family, essential for the survival of civilization.
Examples of Moral Decline
Decline in Parental Authority and Youth Insubordination
Gillis points out that the ideal of family life has been impaired by the decay of parental authority and the growing insubordination of youth. He suggests that while some dismiss these issues as temporary problems that will eventually be resolved, they signify a deeper, more troubling trend.
Divorce and Race Suicide
The increase in divorce rates and what Gillis refers to as "race suicide" (declining birth rates) are prominent examples of the moral decline. He observes that the United States, within a relatively short period, has reached a level of moral degeneracy in terms of divorce that took ancient Rome centuries to attain.
Decline in Sex Morality
Gillis laments the general decline in sex morality, citing contemporary thinkers and writers who advocate for free love and challenge the traditional sanctity of marriage. For instance, he references a professor from the University of Chicago who teaches that marriage is not a necessary precondition for sexual union, suggesting that holier unions exist outside of marriage.
Evolutionary Philosophy and Sexual Ethics
Gillis criticizes the influence of Darwinian evolutionary theory on societal norms, suggesting that it has been used to justify moral laxity and the breakdown of traditional marriage. He notes that some intellectuals argue that marriage and family must evolve or become obsolete, leading to a complacent acceptance of current moral disorders.
Influence of Radical Thinkers and Writers
Gillis highlights the role of radical thinkers and writers in promoting moral anarchy. He mentions H.G. Wells, who speaks approvingly of the changes in marriage, suggesting that marriage is continually being abolished and redefined. Similarly, Bertrand Russell criticizes the slow pace of change in sexual ethics, arguing that current moral standards are outdated.
Popular Culture and Literature
The influence of popular culture and literature in promoting moral decline is another significant concern for Gillis. He points out that contemporary novels and plays often take for granted moral standards that would have been shocking in the past. This preoccupation with sex, he argues, reflects an adolescent mindset that never matures beyond curiosity about sex, contributing to the overall moral decay.
University Professors and Educational Institutions
Gillis is particularly critical of universities and their professors, whom he accuses of teaching radical and destabilizing philosophies. He cites examples of professors who promote ideas like free love and the acceptability of polygamy under certain circumstances. According to Gillis, these teachings undermine traditional values and contribute to the disintegration of the family.
Moral Anarchy and Individualism
Gillis describes the current state of moral anarchy as a significant threat to society. He argues that the radical individualism promoted by many contemporary thinkers leads to a rejection of all forms of restraint, whether internal (inhibitions) or external (social prohibitions). This, he believes, can only result in social chaos and the eventual dissolution of marriage and family.
The Roaring Twenties
The 1920s was culturally licentious, not due to religious perspectives like those of Gillis, but because it was truly a liberalizing period. The Roaring Twenties is remembered as a decade of unrestrained indulgence and moral looseness, a period marked by rapid social changes and the rejection of traditional values. As Lila Thulin highlights in "What Caused the Roaring Twenties? Not the End of a Pandemic (Probably)," this era exploded with excitement as Americans emerged from the darkness of World War I and the Spanish Flu pandemic. The emotional release after such tragedies set the stage for a decade characterized by excess, hedonism, and the breaking of taboos.
F. Scott Fitzgerald’s famous description of the 1920s as “the most expensive orgy in history” underscores the popular image of the time: wild parties, champagne-fueled debauchery, and the rise of the “New Woman,” a figure who scandalized Victorian sensibilities with her short skirts, bobbed hair, and smoking habit. Women began embracing newfound freedoms, from voting to engaging in more public social lives, often pushing the boundaries of acceptable behavior. Sexual liberation became more visible, as "petting parties" and casual relationships became part of the social scene for some women, particularly in urban areas.
Prohibition, intended to curb societal ills, ironically fueled a boom in illegal activities. Speakeasies became hotspots for illicit drinking, often blending men and women in coed settings that flouted old norms. Gangsters like Al Capone thrived as bootlegging and underground clubs flourished, transforming drinking into a glamorous act of rebellion. Despite these changes, alcohol consumption did decrease overall, particularly in rural areas where the Ku Klux Klan enforced prohibition laws. Yet, for urbanites, the roaring nightlife became symbolic of a society turning its back on restraint.
The sexual revolution of the 1920s is another facet of this moral liberalization. The period saw the rise of Margaret Sanger and the birth control movement, signaling a shift toward greater reproductive autonomy for women. This increase in sexual freedom clashed with the prevailing conservative views of the past, adding to the sense that the 1920s was an era of licentiousness.
For additional context, scholars often point to the proliferation of consumerism during the 1920s, as the mass production of goods, the rise of advertising, and the growth of credit encouraged people to embrace materialism. The decade’s celebration of leisure, pleasure, and self-realization laid the groundwork for the modern American ethos of consumption over frugality.
The 1920s was characterized by vanity and decadence.
The Role of the Church and State
In response to these issues, Gillis calls for a renewed cooperation between the Church and the State to address the moral crisis. He argues that the Church, as a stabilizing moral and spiritual force, is essential for the preservation of society. He notes that while the Church has historically been separated from the State, this separation has often led to moral decline. He suggests that a closer relationship between Church and State could help restore moral order and safeguard the institution of marriage.
Conclusion
James Gillis's extensive summary of the decline of marriage and the family highlights numerous examples of moral decline, from the decay of parental authority and the rise in divorce rates to the influence of radical thinkers and the role of universities in promoting destabilizing philosophies. He argues that without a concerted effort to address these issues, particularly through a renewed cooperation between the Church and the State, society risks the complete disintegration of its most fundamental institutions.
Here’s what this means: America after World War II through the 1950s was blip on the social values screen and was not normative. What normative for American culture is unrestrained indulgence and moral looseness. The end of “traditional values” in America may have actually been the Gilded Age (the period from about the late 1870s to the late 1890s, which occurred between the Reconstruction Era and the start of the Progressive Era (1900-1929).
Hey, back in the late teens and early 20s, we had lynchings, Jim Crow, anti-immigrant hysteria, race riots, vicious anti union violence, red scare authoritarianism, and we denied half our citizenry the right to vote because of their sex. But at least more people went to church and fewer people got divorced.
1st Amendment concerns aside... can you identify any cases in which "cooperation between the Church and the State" reversed moral/social decline and brought about renewal of a society?