>The wealth of societies where the mode of production of sex reigns appears as a “huge collection of penises and vaginas,” and masturbation as its elementary form. Our investigation therefore begins with an analysis of masturbation. Masturbation is, first and foremost, an external action, a practice that, through its characteristics, satisfies human needs of one kind or another. The nature of these needs—whether, for example, they arise from self-masturbation or masturbation by a third party—does not alter the issue in any way.
a fistful of thalers