Sex Ethics Flashcards
“Religion is irrelevant in deciding issues surrounding sexual behaviour” essay
A: Natural law holds outdated laws of sexuality. Damaging. No homosexual sex. Mill allows consenting adults to make their own choices
CA: relevant to religious people as based on biblical teachings. Aligns with God’s commands. Pope Benedict XVI “it is not a sin, just a strong tendency towards an intrinsic moral evil”. Augustine - love the sinner, hate the sin
E: Hitchens: sex is part of what makes someone homosexual. Outdated. Natural law needed at the time. But now too constricted. Sit ethics good as can apply agape to today’s society
A: not relevant as the UK is mostly atheist. N.L: sex is solely for reproduction - irrelevant as people cohabit these days. Grunbaum - narrow view
CA: N.L sets clear rules of rape, incest etc. Secular society is over sexualised. Hook up culture is damaging. Creating meaningful relationships are difficult
E: Stephen Fry: suppression of sex between monks has lea to perversions. Freud neurosis - can lead to feelings of guilt. Sit ethics: more realistic for teenagers
How useful is Kantian ethics in dealing with issues in sexual ethics?
A: Not useful as his views on pre marital sex allow no room for emotions as everything people must do has to be out of a sense of duty. He would not permit premarital sex as treating someone as a means to an end. Our duty is also not to lust after people. Not helpful as dismisses emotions which is a key aspect of humanity. Emotions are at the heart of this topic and to completely disregard them is wrong.
CA: Allows sex in marriage only. Good as prevents casual relationships. Argues that children should be raised in a stable environment.
E: He is overly optimistic about marriage as 40% of marriages in divorce. Possible to treat someone with respect outside marriage. Too dependant on the concept of marriage. Couple can be in a relationship. Not helpful
A: Not helpful in regards to homosexuality. Formula of the law of nature disallows homosexuality as the human race would die out with people only having homosexual sex. Not useful as does everyone have a duty to marry and reproduce. If there is an overpopulation this may seem immoral. Not useful Kant argues that its our duty to reproduce when t may not always be
CA: However Neo-Kantians may argue that the first formulation can show that homosexuality is acceptable. MacIntyre changes it to “gay people can have gay sex” - this can be universalised. “it is always right to love someone in a consenting relationship”. Therefore Kantian ethics can be useful
E: Kant himself was very against homosexuality. “unmentionable vice” “so wrong that there are no limitations that can save it”. Original Kantian ethics very against so arguable not useful as we not not actually be following Kantian ethics.
Scholars for extramarital/premarital sex
- “go forth and multiply”
- “one flesh” - Catholic, marriage, sacrament
- “your body is a temple”
- “thou shalt not commit adultery “
- Richard Taylor: Having passionate love affairs is one of life’s greatest goods and so there is nothing wrong with affairs
- Mill: no harm principle
Scholars on homosexuality
- “you shall not lie with a man as with a women: it is an abomination - Leviticus, however also says to not wear garments of more than the type of fabric which we ignore today - Moore. William highlights that it was actually male prostitution being condemned.
-Jesus: let the oppressed go free - supported the marginalised
-Foucault: ‘normal is just imposed by those trying to control society - ceremonial laws vs moral laws -
Crude util
- a misunderstanding of util and what makes you happy: crude - anything happy. Good, anything sad bad. Not only about hedonism.
- makes sex only transaccional
- not just about short term pleasure
- “true application” - value in itself and long term value
Sex ethics
Is sex a purely personal and private matter?
- Mill believed that the government should intervene as little as possible - rules are only needed to prevent people from harm (The non-harm principle/ contractarian view). Therefore providing that both parties have consented and no one is being harmed, no further rules are needed.
- John Harris: argues that sexual ethics are not needed as issues such as violence or paedophilia would be dealt with under other ethical debates
- Focault: challenges religious thinking in terms of abnormal and normal. This is unhelpful and needs to be rejected.Feminists would argue that sexual ethics is n important topic of discussion. Women are more likely to be judged as promiscuous than men.
Natural Law:
- Aquinas: one of the key purposes for human beings is reproduction, the purpose of sexua organs is to reproduce. Therefore any sexual act where it is not possible to reproduce doesn’t achieve its telos.
- Marriage is important: it is generative (bringing new life), and unitive (bringing people together). Has influenced Catholics to this day.
- Premarital and extramarital are prohibited as the generation of new life can only be within a marriage
- John Finnis: argues that certain things are basic goods of human flourishing. Marriage is also a basic good as it is only in marriage where friendship and reproduction can be combined. He argues since homosexuality cannot give off life it is harmful. A petition at Oxford university has tried to prevent his teachings t the university
Religious ideas:
- “nor men who have sex with men… will inherit the kingdom of God”, “God will judge the adulterer and the sexually immoral”
- A Roman catholic may give equal wight to church teachings, natural law and biblical material.
- A Liberal Christian: may value the bible but not feel the need to apply Paul’s teachings literally
- A Evangelical Christian may take the biblical teachings more in its literal sense
Kantian ethics:
- The issue is that sexuality can reduce us purely to acting on desire, reducing us to the level of animals.
- This can be avoided, for Kant, in marriage. Marriage does not degrade us because the couple has freely chosen to enter a contract.
- Premarital: Kant would oppose premarital sex as it not based on mutual promise making. It can be based on animal stints
- Extramarital: this would break the promise made in the marriage ceremony. Promise-breaking cannot be universalised. It would also be treating someone has a means to an end.
- Homosexuality: Kant himself was opposed to homosexuality. He sees it as a degradation of human nature based on human desire which means that it is not possible to treat the other person as a means to an end. Homosexuality cannot be universalised. Modern Kantians: would argue that sexuality is part of someone’s sexuality therefore should be permitted as this allows the persons involved to be treated as an end
- Some would argue that if both parties are not married but are living in a ‘contract based way’ premarital sex should be allowed
Utilitarianism:
- Bentham: would approach sexual ethics on a case by case basis. Whatever brings the most pleasure is the right action.
- Mill: would identify sex as a lower pleasure. Non harm principle…
- Peter Singer&John Harris: they argue there are no unique moral issues in sexual ethics as the moral issues can be dealt with elsewhere
- Premarital: Mill does not have any negative issues with premarital sex and was an active campaigner for better contraception amongst the poor as overpopulation causes more misery.
- Extra-marital: my have reasons to oppose it on the grounds of the pain and harm it may cause pain and harm. Richard Taylor said that greatest good in life is passionate love. If necessary concealing the affair in order to prevent harm to another ma be necessary.
- Homosexuality: Bentham & Mill both believed there was no logical reason to make same sex relations a criminal offence.
