Prudery

Prudishness

Nature

Many people show an affected modesty and priggish adherence to manners and morals, wanting to pass these off as virtues. A notable instance of this in prudish attitudes towards human sexuality.

Claim

There is a high degree of prudery shown against human enterprise, ingenuity and effort. Thus the commonality of energy that sexuality and enterprise possess may indicate that the prude is apt to be associated with conservative social values which favour a static, unchanging world, regulated, controlled, censored and monitored; and that he or she is likely to attack those who threaten it by their more liberated and energetic personalities and proposals.

Counter-claim

There have to be moral standards and people who are courageous enough to defend them. Some over-zealousness that is bound to occur is justified by the protection that society is given from degeneration.