The concept of &quot;base&quot; impulses and a hierarchy of value in body functions (intellect is &quot;high&quot;, reproduction and digestion are &quot;low&quot;) is a <i>terrible</i> remain of late Victorian &#x2F; early Fascism periods. We are not holy souls trapped in a dirty world of temptation for the benefit of some higher power: we are (social) animals who evolved to be smarter and more flexible than all other animals.<p>A lot of the problems in the current culture wars are due to this idea that sexual activity is just vile. This generates repression, which generates anger and misunderstanding on both sides. Maybe we should try giving a bit more respectability to these &quot;base&quot; impulses, and learn how to live with them openly, rather than trying to pretend they don&#x27;t exist.