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Psychopathia Sexualis
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Psychopathia Sexualis

work by Krafft-Ebing
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Psychopathia Sexualis, published in 1886 by German neuropsychiatrist Richard von Krafft-Ebing, is a foundational work in the study of sexual psychopathology. Initially, Krafft-Ebing classified homosexuality as a hereditary degeneration, but later in life, he came to believe that homosexual individuals could be healthy and functional.12

The book introduced terms like "sadism" and "masochism" and provided a detailed examination of sexual aberrations. Krafft-Ebing's work influenced later figures like Sigmund Freud and Carl Jung in their approaches to understanding "abnormal" sexuality. Psychopathia Sexualis is considered a significant starting point for the scientific study of sexology.1234

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5 Britannica Sources
  1. Richard, baron von Krafft-Ebing
  2. sexology
  3. Born Gay - 1886: Krafft-Ebing Defines Homosexuality as a Hereditary Degeneration
  4. Sigmund Freud - Further theoretical development
  5. mental disorder - Paraphilic disorders

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