“Venereal: From Venus, the goddess of love, this word refers to the reality of desire. With the rise of Protestantism and science, the word "disease" was tacked on in a revealing combination of categorization and moralizing. "Which disease?"”

— John Ralston Saul, The Doubter's Companion

"The disease of love."
"Venereal"
The Doubter's Companion (1994)

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John Ralston Saul85

Canadian author and essayist 1947

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“Venereal: From Venus, the goddess of love, this word refers to the reality of desire. With the rise of Protestantism and science, the word "disease" was tacked on in a revealing combination of categorization and moralizing. "Which disease?"”

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John Ralston Saul85

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