Sexual ethics Flashcards
What is Cohabitation?
Two people living together in a sexually active relationship, unmarried. Referred to as ‘living sin’.
What is Chastity?
Abstaining from sex.
What are the three aspects discussed in this question?
Premarital sex, Extramarital sex, Homosexuality
What normative ethics are discussed in this question?
Situation ethics, Kantian Ethics, Utilitarianism and Natural Law.
Premarital sex and the Catholic Church.
Pope Paul VI- ‘husband and wife become in a way one heart and one soul’. ‘together attain their human fulfilment’.
Catechism of the Catholic Church- ‘Human love does not tolerate trial marriages’. Doesn’t tolerate sex before marriage.
Thought people were committing a grave sin by practicing premarital sex. Excluded from Sacramental communion until live in morally correct way. Yet, how do we know someone is having premarital sex? The Song of Solomon shows sex is pleasurable. ‘Your two breasts are like two fawns, twins of a gazelle’- lust.
Christianity and extramarital sex.
Severely looked down upon. Story of Hagar and Ishmael- Egyptian handmaiden has illegitimate child of Abraham, Ishmael and is banished from House of Abraham, arguably sexist. Mary Daly, who believes Christianity is fundamentally sexist.
Lisa Sowle Cahill in book ‘Sex, Gender and Christian Ethics’. Historically, wealthy men had concubines, as well as wives. Polygamy in men really common, divorce a prerogative only men had, so Church banned adultery to protect women. Arguably not sexist?
Ephesians ‘man must love his wife’. Didn’t like extramarital sex.
Homosexuality general stats.
Age of consent 16 for men and women since 1885.
2001, two men could have sex aged 16.
2014, same sex marriage.
2002, homosexuals could adopt.
Christianity and homosexuality.
Leviticus 18:22 ‘though shalt not lie with a man as with a woman’.
Sodom and Gomorrah- two angels sent to city of Sodom, threatened to be raped. Associated with homosexuality. Yet, figure of Lot then partakes in incestuous relations with daughter. People only talk about the homosexuality, cherry picking?
St. Paul- ‘men committed shameful acts with other men’- Romans 1.
St. Paul, letters to Corinthians, men who have sex with other men will not inherit the Kingdom of God.
St. Paul used term ‘Arsenokoita’, compound word. ‘Arseno’ male, ‘koita’ bed. Condemned it.
Garath Moore- many rules are not so forcefully imposed by Christians today, such as beheadings, inconvenient rules are ignored by Christians, just want to attack minorities.
Church of England- opposes same-sex marriage, clergy need to remain celibate. Will appoint homosexuals as long as they’re celibate. 2017, bishops in CoE issued statement called ‘Marriage and Same-sex relationships’, affirming relationship between man and woman. Vote in general synod taken rejected to accept homosexuality.
Catholic church- Pope Francis ‘there are absolutely no grounds for considering homosexual unions’. Yet after seeing that 150-200 homosexuals are killed in Italy per year, said ‘who am I to judge?’.
Protestants think AIDS is a punishment from God.
Natural Law:
Right and wrong are fixed truths, eudemonia is what makes humans flourish.
Catholic approaches to sexual ethics drawn heavily from Natural Law. Procreation central to purpose of sex and marriage- does not agree with extramarital or premarital sex.
Second primary precept- reproduction. No masturbation or extramarital sex.
Sex feels good, but this is an apparent good, not a real good.
Belittles women, like Augustine, purpose of marriage to procreate.
Yet, all interpretations. Eg:
Extramarital sex could be a way of solving infertility, such as in Bible when Abraham sired a child with maid because his wife infertile- surrogate sex.
Analysis:
Is what’s natural always right? Can be abuse. It is illogical to say infertile couples cannot have sex, what about love and commitment?
Aquinas was celibate, warped perception on sex.
Masturbation and homosexuality can be argued to be natural, animals do it.
Leiser- condemning people for sexual pleasures not fair, elderly people cannot reproduce. Prejudiced.
Situation ethics:
Agape- most loving thing.
Fletcher gave scenarios:
- Woman in prison of war camp, has sex with guard to get pregnant so she could go home.
- Spy who has sex with an enemy agent for information that ended the war.
Both show that sex depends on circumstance, but has been criticised for being exceptional circumstances.
Focuses on love and justice and interests of the individual person.
Six propositions:
Love is the only good.
Love is the ‘ruling norm’ of Christianity
Love is justice
Love thy neighbour
Only the end justifies the means (teleological)
Love depends on the situation.
Accepts premarital sex and extramarital sex purely on the situation.
Four working principles:
Relativism
Pragmatism
Conscience
Personalism
Analysis:
Barclay says it makes morality subjective- can be exploited.
Macquarrie- too individualistic, people are selfish.
Kantian ethics:
Believes in freedom and autonomy, ‘it is right to love someone in a consenting relationship’.
Believed in equality, cannot treat people as a ‘means to an end’.
Categorical imperative- universalizability. Any maxim you commit should be able to be committed by everyone. Examples of maxims: do not steal, keep your promises, do not commit suicide.
Inferably goes against homosexuality, extramarital sex and premarital sex. If adultery universalised and homosexuality, then we cannot procreate. Marriage would also mean nothing outside of marriage.
We have a duty to our marriage, not to be lustful.
Analysis:
Ross- we cannot have absolute duties, sometimes they need to be broken.
Utilitarianism:
Often called libertarianism.
Consenting adults can do as they want, protects freedom of choice.
Based on ‘hedonism’, focusing on greatest good for the greatest number.
‘Harm Principle’- extramarital affairs cause harm in the long term. No pleasure caused for greatest number.
John Stuart Mill very secular, wants a free, liberal society. Fought for artificial contraception being available to the poor, because the ‘harm principle’ would also be through STI’s and unwanted pregnancies. Wanted equality in relationships.
‘On Liberty’- sex is a ‘principle of perfect quality, admitting no power or privilege on one side’.
Bentham’s ‘Principle of Utility’- greatest good for the greatest number.
Analysis: Good, because theocentric ethical systems lead to abuse and immoral sexual ethic.
Emphasises importance of pleasure in relationships, allows sexual freedom and choice.
Realistic, focuses on safe sex.
Yet, hard to apply hedonic calculus to situations.
Allows homosexuality, premarital sex and extramarital sex if it makes the majority happen, yet wouldn’t this lead to dissatisfaction for the minority? Is this moral?
Wertheimer- Mill fails to regard the negative effects of autonomy and freedom, people can exploit it.
