Sexual Ethics Flashcards
What is sexual ethics?
Covers issues of pre martial and extra martial sex, contraception and homosexuality.
What is means to be human and how men and women should treat each other in sexual relationships.
Sex is natural, but we feel we need to have control and set some boundaries and rules.
What are some of the main issues in sexual ethics?
Consent e.g. martial rape and informed course.
Whether the sex act itself is intrinsically wrong - deontological vs teleological.
What are the traditional purposes for sex?
Fidelity - fides faithfulness do not commit adultery 7th commandment.
Procreation - have children to fulfil God’s command to Adam and Eve to ‘go forth and multiply.
Union ( sacramentum) - binds couple together as 1`flesh.
What are the historical views of sex?
Pythagoreans - sex weakens the mind, Influenced Plato. Should live an ascetic life - basic life only eat enough to survive wouldn’t have sex or communicate with others much. Good for the soul. Plato Charioteer - beautiful white horse and spirited black horse. Control desires.
The Cynics - sex shouldn’t be shameful have it in public and no need to control sexual desire/pleasure.
The stoics - emotions threatening self control should be overcome, sex only linked to reproduction and continuation human race.
What are some examples of old testament views on sex?
Genesis 2:” Adam and his wife were both naked and they felt no shame.” Sex not wrong but good. Genesis sex for procreation.
Ruth 3-4: Ruth and Boaz traditional committed love story, she waits for him tries to find a long term partner and eventually they marry she concieves a son.
Solomon has many wives, which displeases the lord and turns him from God.
Adultery forbidden, threat punishable by starving. Sex shouldn’t be practised in sinful ways. Accounts factual not judgement.
What was St Paul’s view?
Wrote in Thessalonians “ God wants you to be holy and completely free of sexual immorality.” If the unmarried “cannot control themselves they should marry. Better be married than burn with vain desire.” 1 Corinthians. Sex distraction.
What are ideas in the New testament?
Jesus challenges jewish law on adultery, can’t convict people on the testimony of just 1 witness. “ let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” Jesus tells accused women to go and live life free from sin. Equality for men and women in sexual relationships.
Mark 10:11: anyone who divorces and remarries commits adultery against her.
What time was St Augustine writing in?
Large row in church around Pelagians. The pelagians rejected concept of original sin whereas Augustine saw sex as the manifestation of lust and self centredness concupiscence and proof of the punishment for sin being passed on from generation to the next.
What did Augustine think?
Dualist distinct between body as bad and soul as good. Took God’s command “be fruitful and multiply” as divine and natural law, that humans should procreate, marriage is good if ordained by God. Sex necessary for procreation, necessary evil. Sexual desire can be controlled chastity is deal. Sex allowed if not enjoyed and in marriage.
Marriage concerned with containing sexual sin and although commitment and faithfulness are important love is not primary concern.
What did Aquinas use in his argument?
Adopted and adapted Aristotle’s ideas. Less emphasis marriage as containment of sin. Primary reason for marriage procreation then the purpose of marriage is to provide stable environment for children to be brought up in.
What did he think about men?
Naturally wish to remain with the woman after intercourse to help with the raising of the children and that children need to be instructed by the man. “ Now a woman alone is not adequate to this task this demands the work of the husband, in whom reason is more developed for giving instruction and in strength is more available for giving punishment.” A husband has a natural duty to care for his wife after she passes child bearing age since without her child bearing ability no man would want her. At time man could use moderate force to chastise his wife.
What did he believe the purpose for sex was?
Based on natural moral law. Human life has a purpose/ telos - union with God. Sex is for procreation, any other reason wrong so don’t need contraception. Ordered society + reproduction. Worship God, teachings of new testament.
In what ways could sexual acts be wrong?
1) When the act of its nature is incompatible with the purpose of sex act. Not to have procreation. Acts with a person of the same sex. Intercourse with a thing of another species.
2) Can be morally wrong even when natural e.g. rape procreation but definitely wrong. E.g. rape, incest and adultery are wrong eventhough it could mean procreation as conflicting with right reason.
What are the traditional religious views on sex?
Marriage ideal relationship for sex. Catholics believe marriage provides grace and if people aren’t married cohabiting they are rejecting the trust and commitment in a marriage. Conservative Christians cohabitation ‘living in sin’. Liberal cohabitation if in long tern relationship, marrying in the future. Jesus opposed adultery “ everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed with her in his heart.” Matthew. Virginity important for marriage. In past pre martial sex wrong as could mean conception, detection, infection.
What did Kant say in lectures on Ethics?
“As soon as a person becomes an object of appetite for another all motives of moral relationship cease to function… a person becomes a thing and can be treated and used as such by everyone.”
“Taken by itself sex is a degradation of human nature.”
What is an overview of Kant’s theory?
Deontological.
Moral decision making undertaken due to duty.
Humans seeking ultimate end - supreme good summum bonum. This can’t be achieved in this lifetime, humans must be immortal. Moral law known through reason independent of belief in God, although God facilitator of afterlife.
What is the outcome if applied to universability cat imperative?
A husband who commits adultery can’t want extramarital sex to be a universal law unless he wants his wife, children parents etc to do the same.
Homosexuality can’t be universalised as every homosexual is concieved through a sexual relationship.But artificial insemination?
What is the outcome if applied to treating people as ends in themselves cat imperative?
Sexual intercourse morally unsound. Anyone who wants sex is not fundamentally interested in the welfare of the partner. Those having sex are concerned by the fulfilment of strong sex drive not the other person. Emphasises need for humans to preserve life as 1 of individual’s primary duties e.g. masturbation not human life so wrong. Human life can’t be preserved without sex, but morally degrading.
How did Kant define marriage?
“lifelong possession of each other’s sexual attributes.” Contract 2 people grant each other reciprocal rights not always someone using someone else. Purpose not procreation but union of 2 people.The pursuit of sexual pleasure only allowed when serving more valuable goals like marriage.
What is marriage the best way of doing?
Regulating sex and having children. Designed for ‘merry conversation’ companionship.
Sexual acts can be wrong intrinsically as using someone else for pleasure, but not necessarily in marriage if freely given, equal and mutually consenting not lust or duty.
Prostitution and keeping witnesses opposite of what he wants for humans. Prostitutes have a contract with clients, destroys human autonomy and makes prostitute thing to be used. Marriage potentially the same as men might use wives for pleasure and to produce children. Autonomy of all including married women.
What could be a solution to contradictions in Kant’s thought?
Summum bonum - left to the afterlife for the age of reason to be achieved when humans will rise above their sexual needs. Moral society exist as reason will triumph over needs of flesh. View on marriage quite cold!
What did he think about sex?
Necessary for human race to survive. Marriage could be abused, but sex outside marriage worse situation women things not partners. Relationships outside marriage temporary affairs on sex not companionship, morally flawed.
What reasons does he give for divorce?
Adultery and impotence.Adultery mess of promises in marriage ceremony and impotence impossible to have a reciprocal sexual relationship.
What acts was Kant against?
Pornography, seeking pleasure looking at a person as a thing, used as a way of gaining sexual gratification.
Prostitution, one night stands and promiscuity unsupported in relationship between equals based on mutual respect. A relationship founded on these using other person as means to an end.
Prostitution may be allowed if not coercion (forced). If engaged in against someone’s will or if they were mentally of physically it would be wrong.
What is the general Utilitarian view on sex?
Sex morally wrong if 1 or both of those involved lack a knowledgeable consent e.g. mentally impaired. Even if contract not necessarily moral e.g. middle aged man sexual contract with 15 year old illegal immigrant desperate for money, forced into prostitution.
Maximise good parts of sex and relationships and minimise the bad. Libertarian consenting adults do as they choose and protects their freedom to do so. Importance of mutual and voluntary informed consent, maximization of sexual pleasure not free love consequences like STIs.
