# Gymnosophy > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Gymnosophy > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Gymnosophy.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gymnosophy > Source revision: 1315695233 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) {{Short description|Former philosophical movement}} {{about|a modern philosophy|ancient Indian philosophy known by the same name|Gymnosophists}} '''Gymnosophy''' (from Greek γυμνός ''gymnós'' "naked" and σοφία ''sophía'' "wisdom") was a movement practiced in Europe and the US from the end of the 19th century to the mid 20th century. The practice involved [nudity](/source/nudity), [asceticism](/source/asceticism), and [meditation](/source/meditation). ==History== In the early 20th century, the term was appropriated by several groups to denote a broad philosophy that included as a central thought that the nude human body is a natural condition and should be widely acceptable for the betterment of society. This philosophy is related closely, and often interchangeably, with [nudism](/source/nudism) and [naturism](/source/naturism), and has close connection to the [hippie](/source/hippie) movement.[http://www.hippy.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=243 ''Hippie Roots & The Perennial Subculture''], 2003. {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161024110448/http://www.hippy.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=243 |date=2016-10-24 }}{{Cite web |url=http://frieze-magazin.de/archiv/features/kalifornication/?lang=en |title=Kalifornication |work=Frieze |issue=9 |year=2013 |access-date=2013-08-01 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150702031419/http://frieze-magazin.de/archiv/features/kalifornication/?lang=en |archive-date=2015-07-02 |url-status=dead }} The movement is known by mainly three organisations: the [English Gymnosophical Society](/source/English_Gymnosophical_Society), {{lang|fr|italics=no|Société Internationale de Gymnosophie}}, and the [American Gymnosophical Association](/source/American_Gymnosophical_Association). In 1919, the Yoga teacher [Blanche DeVries](/source/Pierre_Bernard_(yogi)) opened a ''Yoga Gymnosophy Institute'' in New York that combined Oriental Dance and Yoga. The ''[English Gymnosophical Society](/source/English_Gymnosophical_Society)'' was founded in 1922 and became ''The New Gymnosophy Society'' in 1926. One of the first members was [Gerald Gardner](/source/Gerald_Gardner), who in 1945 established the Five Acres Club, ostensibly as a [nudist club](/source/nudist_club), but as a front for [Wicca](/source/Wicca)ns, as this was illegal in England until 1951. The ''Societe Internationale de Gymnosophie'' was founded in 1926 in France. Dr. [Maurice Parmelee](/source/Maurice_Parmelee) (1882-1969), professor of sociology at the [City College of New York](/source/City_College_of_New_York), wrote from 1923 to 1924 a book, ''The New Gymnosophy'';{{cite book|last=Parmelee|first=Maurice |title=The new gymnosophy: the philosophy of nudity as applied in modern life|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_9yBAAAAMAAJ|year=1927|publisher=F. H. Hitchcock|location=New York}} its title was changed to ''Nudism In Modern Life'' in later editions.{{cite book|last=Parmelee|first=Maurice |title=Nudism in Modern Life|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zRd-CgAAQBAJ|year=2013|publisher=Read Books Limited|isbn=978-1-4733-8770-6}}{{citation|title=Adventures in Many Lands an Autobiographical Memoir |first=Maurice|last= Parmelee|publisher=Unpublished manuscript, Parmalee Papers, Mnuscripts and Archives, Yale University Library|location=New Haven, Connecticut}} He took part in the founding of the [American Gymnosophical Association](/source/American_Gymnosophical_Association) circa 1930. In 1932, Rochester Gymnosophy League was founded in Bushnell's Basin.{{Cite web |title=The Naked Truth about Bushnell's Basin |last=Poray |first=Bill |work=Fairport-ER Post |date=11 August 2016 |access-date=27 August 2018 |url=http://www.perinton.org/files/Data/Documents/Historian/columns/The%20Naked%20Truth%20about%20Bushnell.pdf |archive-date=8 August 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200808044445/https://www.perinton.org//files/Data/Documents/Historian/columns/The%20Naked%20Truth%20about%20Bushnell.pdf |url-status=dead }} In 1933 the Dunedin Gymnosophy Club was founded in [New Zealand](/source/New_Zealand).{{Cite web |title=A Nudist Club formed in Dunedin – Police Approval? |work=Wellington Evening Post |date=24 November 1933 |page=5 |access-date=27 August 2018 |url= https://teara.govt.nz/en/document/38037/ridiculing-naturism }} The biochemist and historian [Joseph Needham](/source/Joseph_Needham) was known to practice gymnosophy.{{Cite web |title=Joseph Needham and Lu Gwei-Djen |publisher=The History of Chinese Science and Culture Foundation |date=n.d. |access-date=27 August 2018 |url= http://www.chinesehsc.org/joseph_needham_lu_gwei-djen.shtml }} In the last decade, the word gymnosophy has begun to be used as a term for a new, more spiritual and holistic, free body culture.{{Cite web |title=Gymnosophy for Beginners |last=Carr-Gomm |first=Philip |date=12 November 2007 |access-date=27 August 2018 |url= https://www.philipcarr-gomm.com/gymnosophy-for-beginners/ }} == In popular culture == A poem from the book [''Non Serviam''](/source/Non_Serviam_(book)) (1945) by the Swedish author [Gunnar Ekelöf](/source/Gunnar_Ekel%C3%B6f) is named "Gymnosofisten" ("The Gymnosophist"). == See also == *[Havelock Ellis](/source/Havelock_Ellis) *[History of the hippie movement](/source/History_of_the_hippie_movement) *[Lebensreform](/source/Lebensreform) *[Naked yoga](/source/Naked_yoga) *[Nudism](/source/Naturism) ==Notes== {{reflist|2}} == External links == *[http://seaopenresearch.eu/Journals/articles/SPAS_4_47.pdf About Gymnosophy] {{nudity}} Category:Asceticism Category:Meditation Category:Naturism --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Gymnosophy](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gymnosophy) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gymnosophy?action=history)). 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