In Chapter 4, Menninger explored the “new social philosophy” and new moral code that seemed to manifest itself everywhere since the start of the 20th century. He saw a trend away from controlling behavior through shame, humiliation, confession, spanking children, and pain-filled indentured labor (otherwise known as “training”). Punishment was to be neutral, passionless, objective, and rational.
Scientific discoveries and attitudes supported the trend (38-44). New kinds of child rearing and teaching arose. The notion of “sin” no longer applied. In the “new psychology”, many self-destructive, offensive and “deviant” behaviors became “symptoms” that could be “cured”.
Menninger objected, noting that words such as “crime”, “disease”, “delinquency”, and “deviancy” did not completely cover all the referents of the word “sin” (46).
He then spent several pages (47-49) defending himself against those who questioned his failure to disown the word “sin”.
Menninger’s self-defense is revealing. His ideas stirred the academic lemmings.
The Public Cult of Progressivism has many demands. Menninger did not conform. Therefore, he was guilty of “deviancy”.