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The Intermediate Sex: A Study Of Some Transitional Types Of Men And Women
The Intermediate Sex is a book written by Edward Carpenter that explores the concept of gender and sexuality beyond the traditional binary of male and female. The book examines the lives and experiences of individuals who exist in the gray area between male and female, and who challenge traditional gender norms and expectations. Carpenter draws on a wide range of sources, including personal accounts, scientific research, and historical examples, to present a nuanced and compassionate understanding of these ""transitional types"" of men and women. Throughout the book, Carpenter argues that society must move beyond rigid gender categories and embrace a more fluid and inclusive understanding of human sexuality and identity. The Intermediate Sex is a groundbreaking work that continues to be relevant today, as conversations around gender and sexuality continue to evolve and expand.This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the old original and may contain some imperfections such as library marks and notations. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions, that are true to their original work.
180 pages, Paperback
First published July 16, 1908
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341 people want to read
About the author
Edward Carpenter
378 books63 followersEdward Carpenter was an English socialist poet, socialist philosopher, anthologist, and early gay activist.
A leading figure in late 19th- and early 20th-century Britain, he was instrumental in the foundation of the Fabian Society and the Labour Party. A poet and writer, he was a close friend of Walt Whitman and Rabindranath Tagore, corresponding with many famous figures such as Annie Besant, Isadora Duncan, Havelock Ellis, Roger Fry, Mahatma Gandhi, James Keir Hardie, J. K. Kinney, Jack London, George Merrill, E D Morel, William Morris, E R Pease, John Ruskin, and Olive Schreiner.[1]
As a philosopher he is particularly known for his publication of Civilisation, Its Cause and Cure in which he proposes that civilisation is a form of disease that human societies pass through. Civilisations, he says, rarely last more than a thousand years before collapsing, and no society has ever passed through civilisation successfully. His 'cure' is a closer association with the land and greater development of our inner nature. Although derived from his experience of Hindu mysticism, and referred to as 'mystical socialism', his thoughts parallel those of several writers in the field of psychology and sociology at the start of the twentieth century, such as Boris Sidis, Sigmund Freud and Wilfred Trotter who all recognised that society puts ever increasing pressure on the individual that can result in mental and physical illnesses such as neurosis and the particular nervousness which was then described as neurasthenia.
A strong advocate of sexual freedom, living in a gay community near Sheffield, he had a profound influence on both D. H. Lawrence and E. M. Forster.
A leading figure in late 19th- and early 20th-century Britain, he was instrumental in the foundation of the Fabian Society and the Labour Party. A poet and writer, he was a close friend of Walt Whitman and Rabindranath Tagore, corresponding with many famous figures such as Annie Besant, Isadora Duncan, Havelock Ellis, Roger Fry, Mahatma Gandhi, James Keir Hardie, J. K. Kinney, Jack London, George Merrill, E D Morel, William Morris, E R Pease, John Ruskin, and Olive Schreiner.[1]
As a philosopher he is particularly known for his publication of Civilisation, Its Cause and Cure in which he proposes that civilisation is a form of disease that human societies pass through. Civilisations, he says, rarely last more than a thousand years before collapsing, and no society has ever passed through civilisation successfully. His 'cure' is a closer association with the land and greater development of our inner nature. Although derived from his experience of Hindu mysticism, and referred to as 'mystical socialism', his thoughts parallel those of several writers in the field of psychology and sociology at the start of the twentieth century, such as Boris Sidis, Sigmund Freud and Wilfred Trotter who all recognised that society puts ever increasing pressure on the individual that can result in mental and physical illnesses such as neurosis and the particular nervousness which was then described as neurasthenia.
A strong advocate of sexual freedom, living in a gay community near Sheffield, he had a profound influence on both D. H. Lawrence and E. M. Forster.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
July 11, 2014
It’s an early 20th century work on sexuality and gender orientation, and I read it because in Regeneration by Pat Barker, a character mentions it as a book that “saved” him. They go on to discuss why - it made him see that he “wasn’t just a freak. That there was a positive side.” This conversational tangent was sandwiched neatly in the middle of a discussion about pacifism, and although I could guess at what it was getting at - The Intermediate Sex is a fairly difficult title to misinterpret - the conversation itself is just oblique enough to be a little mystifying, and apparently the book itself was extraordinarily influential for many people, possibly including the real-life Sassoon. So I looked it up, the e-text is available all over the place.
And it is an interesting read, though the combination of early 20th century pseudo-scientific prose and early 20th century psychology prose makes for hard reading. Basically, Carpenter explores the notion of a third sex, between men and women, who exhibit characteristics of both genders, and for whom it is natural to be attracted to the same sex. One thing I found particularly off-putting was the author’s very careful insistence that although it was perfectly natural for people to be attracted to their own sex, he himself was not one of them. On the one hand, it was certainly brave to write a book on the subject at all, at the time. As another character points out elsewhere in Regeneration, people suspected of homosexual practices or of being involved with those practicing homosexuality were at the time particularly susceptible to blackmail. On the other hand, that sort of distancing from this era comes across as a little disingenuous and a tiny bit patronizing. The best part of the book is, in my opinion, the collection of anonymous case studies at the end. It’s a bunch of stories about homosexual experience at the turn of the century, and it’s fascinating, evocative, and frequently touching.
But I don’t really recommend that you read it, unless you’re desperately academically inclined/have a JSTOR problem, which if you do, I’m not judging you at all. JSTOR binges happen. We accept that, eye the pile of PDF articles on obscure subjects with some skepticism, and move on.
And it is an interesting read, though the combination of early 20th century pseudo-scientific prose and early 20th century psychology prose makes for hard reading. Basically, Carpenter explores the notion of a third sex, between men and women, who exhibit characteristics of both genders, and for whom it is natural to be attracted to the same sex. One thing I found particularly off-putting was the author’s very careful insistence that although it was perfectly natural for people to be attracted to their own sex, he himself was not one of them. On the one hand, it was certainly brave to write a book on the subject at all, at the time. As another character points out elsewhere in Regeneration, people suspected of homosexual practices or of being involved with those practicing homosexuality were at the time particularly susceptible to blackmail. On the other hand, that sort of distancing from this era comes across as a little disingenuous and a tiny bit patronizing. The best part of the book is, in my opinion, the collection of anonymous case studies at the end. It’s a bunch of stories about homosexual experience at the turn of the century, and it’s fascinating, evocative, and frequently touching.
But I don’t really recommend that you read it, unless you’re desperately academically inclined/have a JSTOR problem, which if you do, I’m not judging you at all. JSTOR binges happen. We accept that, eye the pile of PDF articles on obscure subjects with some skepticism, and move on.
June 12, 2017
Much more open-minded and interesting than I was prepared for. Carpenter was revolutionary in some ways: he argues that most homosexual individuals are "normal" in a time when many sexologists believed they were pathological. More, he differentiates between sexual predators and homosexuals; "real" homosexuals are focused on relationships rather than sex in his thoughts. Carpenter is very anti-sex, as he is anxious to disassociate "inverts" with criminal sexuality, and he buys into the idea that every homosexual is a gender "invert" (what we would recognize as trans). Still, if you want to get some hope for the state of sexuality in Edwardian England, read this.
September 5, 2023
I'm not one for writing reviews, but this really surprised me, and I'm glad to have read it; especially this quote, which has stuck with me for a while:
"it may be said that they exist, and have always existed, in considerable abundance, and from that circumstance alone there is a strong probability that they have their place and purpose."
The modern queer community unfortunately has less "elders" than it deserves; So it feels really nice to have Carpenter, from so long ago, validate that queer people are around and have a role in society same as anyone else.
"it may be said that they exist, and have always existed, in considerable abundance, and from that circumstance alone there is a strong probability that they have their place and purpose."
The modern queer community unfortunately has less "elders" than it deserves; So it feels really nice to have Carpenter, from so long ago, validate that queer people are around and have a role in society same as anyone else.
September 28, 2019
A good, already canonical, book on sexuality and gender studies. A pleasure to read it again.
March 8, 2023
Given that this was first written over a century ago it is an amazing book [or, to be more accurate, collection of essays/papers]
It is not an easy read to a modern reader, not for the content or views expressed but simply that the language is unfamiliar to a late 20thC reader, let alone a 21stC one. The book covers a variety of views on the subject of same-sex relationships, the majority of which are not out of step with modern western law and societal opinion. Given that it was written around the time when Oscar Wilde was pilloried, jailed and disgraced this raises so many questions as to whether, even then, the law was out of step with society (or perhaps particularly intellectual society?)
While the content can sometimes become tedious where it examines in detail what various European psychologists were propounding, the Appendix provides a readable summary and some memorable quotations and is worth reading for its own merits, especially if the reader is 'enquiring' or 'questioning' their own gender identity
It is not an easy read to a modern reader, not for the content or views expressed but simply that the language is unfamiliar to a late 20thC reader, let alone a 21stC one. The book covers a variety of views on the subject of same-sex relationships, the majority of which are not out of step with modern western law and societal opinion. Given that it was written around the time when Oscar Wilde was pilloried, jailed and disgraced this raises so many questions as to whether, even then, the law was out of step with society (or perhaps particularly intellectual society?)
While the content can sometimes become tedious where it examines in detail what various European psychologists were propounding, the Appendix provides a readable summary and some memorable quotations and is worth reading for its own merits, especially if the reader is 'enquiring' or 'questioning' their own gender identity
August 15, 2025
A good example of how language has changed over the past 100+ years: I thought the title, Intermediate Sex: Transitional Types of Men and Women was about what we could call transgenderism. It is not, it is more about gays and lesbians.
For Carpenter, the intermediates are people who show personality characteristics and emotional traits of the opposite sex. Effeminate and emotional men and butch women, and who show sexual interest in members of their own sex.
Obviously very dated research. While it argues gays and lesbians are born as such, it still puts too much stock in stereotypical behaviors. Worse yet, the author actually defends pedophilia.
For Carpenter, the intermediates are people who show personality characteristics and emotional traits of the opposite sex. Effeminate and emotional men and butch women, and who show sexual interest in members of their own sex.
Obviously very dated research. While it argues gays and lesbians are born as such, it still puts too much stock in stereotypical behaviors. Worse yet, the author actually defends pedophilia.
July 14, 2025
Aunque existieron a lo largo de la Historia muchos libros que buscaron sutilmente mostrar el amor homosexual, Edward Carpenter (1844 - 1929) dedicó un ensayo completo a hablar directamente de la homosexualidad como una condición humana tan normal como la heterosexualidad.
A través de citas literarias y ejemplos históricos, Carpenter deja en claro que los homosexuales siempre hemos existido y hemos contribuido a la sociedad sin ser perversos o corruptos, como piensan los homofóbicos. Considero que este libro merece mayor reconocimiento.
A través de citas literarias y ejemplos históricos, Carpenter deja en claro que los homosexuales siempre hemos existido y hemos contribuido a la sociedad sin ser perversos o corruptos, como piensan los homofóbicos. Considero que este libro merece mayor reconocimiento.
January 5, 2025
Read this because the war poet Siegfried Sassoon said it was largely influential to him. This is more of a review of related literature with generalizations. Some observations are now outdated (even questionable) but it is one of the first essays to discuss the material in detail, for which it deserves credit.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews