There are good reasons for saying that there are just two sexes.
- Nearly all us human beings inherit only male or female sex chromosomes in every single cell of our bodies and these are responsible for our sex hormones.
- There are obvious differences in sexual anatomy. Also, on average, men tend to be taller and heavier than women. That doesn’t mean every man is taller than every woman—there’s definitely overlap—but typically, women are shorter and lighter overall.
- Research shows that some parts of the brain differ in size between men and women on average. These differences are thought to come from how sex hormones influence brain development.
Also if we look around the animal kingdom, we see that each species is divided into male and female. The vast majority of us weren’t made as hermaphrodites, but rather as either male or female. Swedenborg believed this wasn’t just a coincidence — there was a deeper spiritual reason behind it.
The Source of Love and Wisdom
Swedenborg taught that everything around us was created and held together by an infinite source of love and wisdom, with a divinely human face that he called the Lord God. He saw love and wisdom as two sides of the same coin, and this combination is what he thought powered the whole universe. It’s the spiritual reality that everything is made of.
While “love” and “wisdom” might sound like just words, Swedenborg argued that they’re real things — actual divine forces that can work together in the world. We can actually feel them come to life in our own lives. For example, when we thoughtfully care for others, or when our concern for someone is shown through smart, sensible actions. That’s love and wisdom in action. This love and wisdom in action, he believed, is the result of the ‘marriage of good and truth’.
Marriage of good and truth
According to Swedenborg, the ‘marriage of good and truth’, is key to our individual spiritual growth, This is because it reflects the divine union of love and wisdom. It’s like the good of love wanting what’s truly wise and true, and the truth of wisdom understanding what is truly good and loving.
Without compassion, our thoughts can feel cold and disconnected. If lacking practical wisdom, good intentions can just feel like empty sentiment. A fulfilling life needs a balance of heart and mind. In sexual relationships, having both a caring attitude and a clear sense of purpose lets us act in meaningful ways, benefiting both partners.
Our good intentions and right thinking come from God
So, according to this teaching, good only becomes powerful when it’s guided by what’s truly right and sensible. And what’s truly right and sensible only works when good intentions are present. Together, they come from the divine union of love and wisdom, which has shaped humanity and filled the world with life and potential.
In line with his religious insight, Swedenborg says unless we open ourselves to our divine source, we’d likely be more selfish. When we turn away from love and what is good, our hearts grow uncaring. When we ignore wisdom and what is true, our thinking becomes confused and misguided.
The Divine Design of Two Sexes
The Bible tells us:
“So God created humankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them”
Swedenborg pointed out that Divine love and wisdom are distinguishably one. Accordingly, the Divine union of love and wisdom is the origin of the creation of two sexes that causes them to be different physically and psychologically.
The way the argument goes is that the unified, infinite love and wisdom of the Divine couldn’t be expressed in a single-sex human being. That’s because we’re finite and imperfect. We can only truly experience both good feelings and true understanding — the “marriage of good and truth” — once we’ve developed spiritually. Before then we are prey to bad desires and false notions.
Two sexes needing each other
For example, when it comes to our emotional response to things like cravings or bodily appetites, our understanding of what’s right can guide us. For instance, living a lifestyle of eating in moderation and getting enough exercise, until these habits become second nature. This harmony of desire and understanding is a big part of how our feelings and thoughts interact with one another in relationships. Feelings learn from understanding, and understanding learns from feelings.
That’s why we need to gain from each other — men learning from women and women learning from men. A woman acquires a perspective on things from her male partner, and a man likewise benefits from his female partner.
Copyright 2025 Stephen Russell-Lacy
Author of The Great Questions of Life
If you liked this you may also like:
Making sense of sex – A free online course
