Lecture 3

Question 1

what is Ars erotica

Answer 1

Truth drawn from pleasure
■ Pleasure considered in relation to itself (not law or utility)
■ Knowledge deflected back into sexual practice to amplify its effects
■ Relationship of master to disciple

Question 2

what is Scientia sexualis

Answer 2

the student speaking by confessing to the master
confession— most highly valued techniques for producing truth
confessor is also subject of statement
agency of domination is in the one who listens, rather than speaks
reconstruction
“… breaking with the traditions of the art erotics (master to disciple), our society has equipped itself with a sexualis…

Question 3

what are the 2 types of sexual views

Answer 3

ars erotica (old)
Scientia sexualis (new)

Question 4

Sexuality and the Cultivation of Humanity (her book)

argues what

Answer 4

argues that the things presented to us require a lot of learning
our learning is shared by power relations and the perspectives that are dominant
emotions entail a great deal of learning arguing for liberal education— is worry that education has become only about the test, getting the degree, and getting a job to get money
education has lost its concern of forming citizens
argues for:
education for democratic citizenship
problem of unreflective citizens

Question 5

what are Key Assumptions (Vivian Burr) about social constructionism

Answer 5

critical stance
■ historically and culturally specific
■ knowledge of the world is intersubjectively fabricated not objectively observed
■ constructions are bound up with particular power relations

Question 6

what are the Areas of social construction

Answer 6

Behavior –

2. Norms
3. Categories –
4. Placement of individuals within the categories –

Question 7

what about behaviour

Answer 7

societies shape norms of behavior

Question 8

what about norms

Answer 8

a) norms about sexuality itself that shape experience (e.g., appetite)
b) norms about evaluations within the category (e.g., what is desirable in a partner)

Question 9

what about categories

Answer 9

basic sexual categories undergo social shaping

Question 10

what about placement of individuals

Answer 10

maleness and femaleness linked to biological markers; not heterosexuality and homosexuality?

Question 11

what are the points of Nussabaum’s Ancient Greek World

Answer 11

people will tell you that what is normal now (nuclear family) has always been, even if it hasn’t really
homosexuality back in the ancient times were normal, the “norm” that wasn’t supposed to be passed was the actual act itself
a person with exclusive preference to one sex was rare
the males were supposed to be dominant in the relationship for sure
why does sexuality of the ancient world matter to us?
… there are 3 points you need to get…

Question 12

what is dimorphism

Answer 12

is the physical differences between males and females of the same species

Question 13

what is “The Erosion of Sexual Dimorphism” purpse

Answer 13

trace implications for western religions of the postmodern shift from dimorphism to polymorphism

Question 14

what is Gudorf’s thesis

Answer 14

sexual dimorphism cannot remain as the dominant paradigm for interpreting sexuality and in fact has given way to a more polymorphous concept today

Question 15

what does Gudorf say about plymorphous sexuality

Answer 15

Polymorphous sexuality greatly increases the freedom that individuals exercise in terms of both sexual identity and sexual behavior, but that very freedom also exacts certain costs

Question 16

what is the Relevance of dimorphism

Answer 16

irrelevant, it is no longer meaningful in the way that it was and it holds less and less meaning as the time goes on

Question 17

what are some Arguments against Sexual Dimorphism

Answer 17

argument from culture
separation of sex and gender
distinction between sex and sexual desire

argument from biology
multiple human chromosomal patterns
existence of hormonal irregularities
6 biological factors (each on a spectrum)

Question 18

how are Sexual Dimorphism &

Religion related

Answer 18

Assumed in ancient texts
■ More rigid in Abrahamic traditions
– Creation narratives
– Social distinctions
– Moral imperatives
■ Christianity
– Less differentiation in religious terms
– Yet maleness required for leadership
■ Islam
– Raised the status of women
– Religious legislation assumed dimorphism

Question 19

what is Religion’s Dimorphism Problem (Gudorf) with regard to Dimorphism built into texts

Answer 19

– creation narratives
– assumptions about divine nature
– moral imperatives

Question 20

what is Religion’s Dimorphism Problem (Gudorf) with regard to Paradigmatic weakness

Answer 20

Dimorphic challenge of social justice

– Polymorphic challenge to intelligibility

Question 21

what is Religion’s Dimorphism Problem (Gudorf) with regard to Issues at stake

Answer 21

Sacred doctrine
– Institutional structures – Moral authority
– Religious freedom

Question 22

what is Gudorf’s Advice

Answer 22

Resist defining sexuality
■ Decenter sexuality
■ Historicize sexuality
■ Protect without disempowering the vulnerable
■ Question most basic language