sexual ethics Flashcards
conservative christianity
biblical teachings and traditional theologians
natural moral law
typically conservative catholic view
liberal christianity
bible not literal word of god so we need to update christian ethics for modern times
-fletcher, situation ethics
conservative secularists
traditions regarding sexual ethics are useful for society and maintain them
-kantian ethics
liberal secularists
traditions of sexual ethics might have been useful in past but are increasingly outdated and harmful
-utiltarianism example of this
augustine on shame of naked bodies
its just because we feel shame over having lust because its beyond our control result of fallen state
how does augustine show sex is shameful
people of all cultures cover up their genitals and sex done in private
why do we wear clothes for augustine
shows connection between sex, sex organs and shame of original sin which caused adam and eve to feel shame and wear clothes
massa damnata
augustine concludes humanity is massa damnata- mass of the damned
why do traditional conservatives approach dislike sex outside of marriage
all sex outside heterosexual marriage is condemned in the bible and is wrong on this view
1 corinthians and 1 timothy st paul
condemns sodomites as unrighteous and sinners
romans paul on wicked people who became idolators
god have them over to their shameful lusts
-women exchanged natural sexual relations for unnatural ones
-men committed shameful acts with other men
leviticus on unnatural sexual acts
if men lies with man as he does with women both have committed act of abomination
-they shall be put to death and their blood is upon them
how is homosexual sex suggested to be wrong
jesus says its between man and women
-when combined with claim sex should be confined to marriage- suggests homosexual sex wrong
what did jesus say about marriage matthew
creator made them male and female
-for this reason man will leave parents and be united with wife to be one in flesh
-therefore what god has joined together let no one seperate
message in bible of temptation
we have is to sex
-born with original sin and this causes desire of sinful actions including sinful sexual actions
thessalions 4
each of you must learn to control his own body as something holy and held in honour
-not yielding to passion as heathen do in ignorance of god
galations 5 on sexual immorality
works of the flesh
-sinful state of our human bodily existence that causes our sinful desires
exodus on sexual immorality
exodus 20:14
1 corinthians 7 on sexual immorality
we have temptation to sexual immorality
-people should pair off into husband and wife to satisfy each other so satan may not tempt you because of your lack of self control
matthew on sexually impure thoughts
everyone who looks at a women with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart
liberal approach as criticism to sexual immorality passages
-argue bible not perfect word of god but product of human mind
-text culturally conditioned
-words of bible interpretations of what authors felt and understood of gods revelation
liberal inspiraton leads to crisis of authority
how it could grant authority of bible if it derives from human minds
-could open up bible to interpretation and every person will have their own interpretation
-this cannot provide stable theology for religion
-allows to much freedom for opinion
what did freud think about christian attitudes towards sex
resulted in shame about sexual desire which led to unhealthy repression and mental illness
what view did frued influence
liberal secular attitude
what does the liberal secular attitude claim about sex
natural biological desire which shouldnt be source of shame but well being
frueds criticism of augustines view of sex
insistence there is something shameful about lust absurd and pointless once your understand its result of evolution not original sin
frueds criticism to conservative religious attitudes
unnecessarily repressive and puritanical
-become unhealthy and pointless obsession with self control borne from insecurity over mythical fall from grace
criticism of christians repression of sexual desire
made more sense when humans were less socialised
-today humans have developed where they need more freedom
-nature not corrupt and we need draconin sexual norms
secular society oversexualised as criticism of freud
natural law argues god designed human life- upset balance= social problems
-hook up culture for higher social status
-devaluing personal intimate act into superficial sign of social status harms psychologically
-damaging for meaningful long term relationships
bishop baron criticising Freud
secular culture to sex lack of reference to moral and ethical setting for sex
-purpose or religious context
-encourages self interested ego
-self absorbed and destructive
stephen fry criticism to catholic church and baron bry
paedophiles priest scandals
-celibacy and priests chosen not normal
-unhealthy sexual repressiveness of church teachings causes priests to become sexually perverted
-secular attitudes not perfect but healthier than religious attitudes
rule of situation ethics
action is good if leads to most loving outcome possible
fletchers example of adultery
mother trapped so commits adultery to get pregnant and released
-her family approved of action and loves child as their own
fletcher from nashs play rainmaker
rainmaker has pre martial sex with spinster to save her from becoming spinsterised
-brother outraged and wants to shoot rainmaker but father stops him saying
-you are so full of whats right you cant see whats good
fletchers criticism of legalism
-ethics must be situation based
-sexual behaviour shouldnt be subject to public norms and legislation
-only subject to principle of agape
criticism of sitution ethics
love opinion and subjective
-some might think loving to disown child for pre martial sex
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defence of fletcher
love subjective but agape not
-agape more specific, selfless love for your neighbour
-pressuring others into sex not selfless for your neighbour
counter defence of fletcher
agape is subjective
-they way you love neighour depends on how you love yourself
natural law on sex
god created all things with telos
-telos achieveing happiness through glorifying god by following natural moral law
-going against gods natural law not only isn but leads to bad happiness and well being
natural law on homosexuality
-unnatural because diverging from natural mode of sex
-homosexual orientation cant be
-not all inclinations natural and part of gods natural law
-catechism against it as divorces sex from gift of life so against gods design
what did pope benedict say about homosexuality
inclination of homosexual person not sin but strong tendency ordered to intrinsic moral evil so inclination itself must be seen as objective disorder
stephen fry criticism of homosexuality criticism
religion repressive of homosexual feelings
-victimization that leads to playground bullying
augustines defense of criticism of homosexuality
against homosexual acts not orientation
-dont claim fry evil only his actions
-bishop baron- first message should be to gays that child of god invited to share divine life
christopher hitchens criticism of defense of criticism to homosexuality
seperation of sin from sinner not good as actions come from their nature
-church have no moral standing to criticise sexual behaviour as pedos and scandals
natural law on pre martial sex
we have natural inclination to primary precepts
-all threatened by sexual immorality
-only educated on this if born to married parents
-primary precepts requires confining to sexual behaviour to marriage
strength of natural law
applicable to everyone
-all humans born with ability to know primary precepts
-regardless of religion
weakness- natural law is outdated
ancient medieval society
-makes sense for absolutists
-PP for medieval society
-sex for children without parents lead to child in economically deprived society
-outdated in modern society
defense of criticism natural law is outdated
outdated doesnt make it wrong
-main stream culture has moved on from natural law ethics doesnt mean it was right to
-if hitler won ww2 democracy would be seen as outdated
natural law no longer relevant as counter evaluation
PP just what wad good for his people in his socio economic condition
-not from god
-by telling people its ethical precepts come from god- creates motivation to follow
-precepts from imagined being- become inflexible and difficult to progress which makes them outdated
fletchers critique of aquinas
no natural law as shown by cross cultural moral disagreement
-clear cases of different moral views on sexual ethics between different societies
-suggests its not true we are born with ability to discover PP
natural law and religious authoritarianism
human law should be based on natural and divine law
-includes prohibitions on sex outside of marriage
-marriage between man and woman
-for RA as involves claim what people do in private life must conform to natural and divine law
act utiltarianism on sexual ethics
if act brings most pleasure acceptable- includes homosexuality and pre martial sex
standard criticisms of utiltarianism
issue with calculation and measuring pleasure and liberty/ justifying bad actions
JS Mill on sexual ethics
trying to make thing illegal because they go against religious morality must be rejected as foundation of religious persecution
-extra martial sex allowed in mormon faith but not christianity
mill and sexual ethics
even if some suffer in sexual practised as long as there is consent
-if those who suffer are allowed perfect departure from their community then others shouldnt get involved
mill on harm principle in sexual ethics
people free to choose as long as no harm to others
-includes sex private
-people can argue with others about which sexual norm to follow
mills conception of society
of individuals pursuing what seems good to them
-only universal bond being the wrongness or illegality of harming others
Devlins criticism to mill- invisible bonds of common thought
society has right to protect itself
-purpose of law to guard against threats to existence of society
-history shows that loosen moral bonds is first stage of falling
-society not held together physically but by invisible bonds of common thought
-society has right to eradicate vices so abominable their presence an offense
mills criticism of lord devins argument
humans have tendency to increasingly encroach on freedom of individual and will appeal to disgust of majority to justify that
-such principle would forbid non muslims having pork in muslim countries- disgusts population
-only harm principle can draw line between individuals private and public life
lord devlin- private affects the public to
-majority has right to defend its social enviorment from change it opposes
-if homosexuality not subject to public norms- social enviorment would change in difficult ways
-way people raise and live with kids affected by behaviours and relations
-private effects public- gives ground for subjecting private life to public norms if private practise threatens public good is worth cost to human freedom to protect
homosexuality has not harmed society argument against lord devlin
-making it public norm hasnt caused damage
-no evidence children raised by homosexual parents are worse off
-communities should change and progress
-community dependent on shared bonds- arguably sufficient for cohesion and clearly allows for change
-private affects public but for greater good of freedom
kantian ethics on sexual ethics
homosexuality not universal
-if maxim follow your own orientation- then universal
-pre martial sex universal as no contradiction of everyone in it
kant and second formulation in sexual ethics
sex not within marriage for purpose of procreation involves each person using other as mean to own gratification
-objectification
what does kant think about marriage
life long possession of each others sexual attributes
-if each person agrees to be used- respecting each others end- only treating them as a means not mere means
criticism of kantian ethics on sexual ethics
not treating people as mere means wrong as only allows for sex within marriage for children
-sex outside marriage necessarily always objectification
kants own ethical theory
thinks ethics based on reason and should remove emotion as motivation for moral decision making
humes criticism of kants ethical theory
judgments being motivating includes them involving desire
-not enough to reason because we have to care
-P1 – moral judgements are intrinsically motivating.
P2 – Reason is not intrinsically motivating.
C1 – Therefore, moral judgements cannot be derived from reason alone
rational agents put their emotion aside as criticism of hume
reason and emotion in conflict
-back to plato- human reason aimer at world of forms
-as rational agents we should try and separate reason from emotional influence
defense of hume against rational agents put reason first
-mind like lawyer- project negative psychological motivations into critic
-culture determines emotional feelings - kant ethical sex example of how views reflections and rationalisations of his cultures view
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