AHC: A nudist society?
- Thread starter Enigmajones
- Start date
No. It's a commonplace (late) medieva slander that was used against them.
Nudism does not necessarily mean that cloth are prohibited or that those who practice nudism is always nudist, just that they are naked in public when for instance on the beach or when they are sunbathing. I assume, however, that a nudist society would mean that it would be considered totally acceptable to go around naked in all situations (although there might be some restrictions due to hygenical consideration, such as sitting on public benches without putting a towel under your bottom).
What is meant by "the people"? Absolutely everyone is unlikely. is it enough with 60-70 per cent of the people?
Naked all the time is impractical, for all the reasons mentioned above. What could certainly happen, though, is a society where most people undress at home, when entertaining friends, and so on. Hans Peter Duerr has written a fair bit about how most societies where nudity is commonplace have quite ingrained rules about how and where you direct your gaze; even if people walk around naked, it is still considered a sign that you're both rude and a bit dumb if you stare directly at someone's genitalia.
What about the digambara (skyclad) Jains? If they were more successful I could see their ritual nudity practice spreading from the clergy to the general population.