Sexual Philosophy

Philosophy of Sexuality

First question:
Does this thread properly belong in the Philosophy forum or does it belong here in the Sex and Sexuality forum?

Here are the descriptions of the forums in question:

Philosophy
A forum for the discussion and debate regarding the fundamental nature of knowledge, reality, and existence from a non-religious basis.

Sex and Sexuality
This political forum is to discuss sex and sexuality.

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I've given my considered opinion by posting the thread here. I welcome arguments on either side of the question.


Second question:

Are you a sexual optimist or a sexual pessimist?

The distinction is unpacked for us here in the following article:​

1. Metaphysics of Sexuality
Our moral evaluations of sexual activity are bound to be affected by what we view the nature of the sexual impulse, or of sexual desire, to be in human beings. In this regard there is a deep divide between those philosophers that we might call the metaphysical sexual optimists and those we might call the metaphysical sexual pessimists.

The pessimists in the philosophy of sexuality, such as St. Augustine, Immanuel Kant, and, sometimes, Sigmund Freud, perceive the sexual impulse and acting on it to be something nearly always, if not necessarily, unbefitting the dignity of the human person; they see the essence and the results of the drive to be incompatible with more significant and lofty goals and aspirations of human existence; they fear that the power and demands of the sexual impulse make it a danger to harmonious civilized life; and they find in sexuality a severe threat not only to our proper relations with, and our moral treatment of, other persons, but also equally a threat to our own humanity.

On the other side of the divide are the metaphysical sexual optimists (Plato, in some of his works, sometimes Sigmund Freud, Bertrand Russell, and many contemporary philosophers) who perceive nothing especially obnoxious in the sexual impulse. They view human sexuality as just another and mostly innocuous dimension of our existence as embodied or animal-like creatures; they judge that sexuality, which in some measure has been given to us by evolution, cannot but be conducive to our well-being without detracting from our intellectual propensities; and they praise rather than fear the power of an impulse that can lift us to various high forms of happiness.​

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Angel said:

Philosophy of Sexuality

First question:
Does this thread properly belong in the Philosophy forum or does it belong here in the Sex and Sexuality forum?

Here are the descriptions of the forums in question:



I've given my considered opinion by posting the thread here. I welcome arguments on either side of the question.


Second question:

Are you a sexual optimist or a sexual pessimist?​

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Philosophy of Sexuality | Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy

The purpose of this thread is to promote a deeper understanding of the nature of human sex and sexuality.

Is human being a beast or an angel?

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Angel said:

Are you a sexual optimist or a sexual pessimist?

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Is human being a beast or an angel?

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Is human sexuality a bestial instinct or a rational predilection?

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Is sex dirty?

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Is sex good?

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Is sex rule-governed?

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Think.

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distraff said:

...Yes, many of them.

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TrueScotsman said:

...Yes, legally the state should intervene in the instance of sexual consent not being honored, and protect the autonomy and safety of persons. People in consensual relationships then come up with their own rules, which may evolve over time in regards to their boundaries....

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"The Kiss"
by Rodin​

Sex. So simple a word, yet so complex a challenge—though it’s not as if philosophers through the eons have not spoken of it. From Plato’s Symposium to Michel Foucault’s History of Sexuality, the nature of Eros has not escaped philosophical consideration. Kierkegaard and Nietzsche got in on the act. Yet as a major theme of philosophy, sex has failed to raise a firm and consistent interest through time. Stranded far from the Freudian revolution, some contemporary philosophers ask that we think about sex again.

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Love and sex provide a fertile ground for philosophical inquiry, both conceptual analysis of the nature of love and sex and discussion of the many ethical issues that they raise. Moral issues arising from love include the permissibility of romantically loving more than one person at the same time (assuming that this is even possible) and the moral value of romantic love and friendship. Moral issues arising from sex vary from the most fundamental question—the one addressed by Alan Soble in his paper in this issue—of whether sex can be reconciled with respect for persons, to questions about the permissibility of sex in particular circumstances. Much current work in philosophy of love and sex concerns precisely such issues in applied ethics, for instance the topics addressed by the authors of four more papers in this collection—homosexuality, prostitution, relationships that cross power lines in academia, and the wrongness of rape and other sexual misdeeds. Other ethical issues about sex include the morality of casual sex, adultery and open marriage, sadomasochism, and pornography.

While philosophers since at least the time of Plato have discussed love and sex, it remains a relatively unexplored region of our discipline, in sharp contrast to such areas of applied ethics as medical and business ethics. Specialized journals are devoted to each of these and other branches of applied ethics and many philosophy departments enroll far more undergraduate students in such applied ethics courses than in any others. The visibility of the philosophy of love and sex is confined in the United States to a few anthologies and books that have appeared over the last two decades or so, a relatively small number of journal articles, meetings of the Society for the Philosophy of Sex and Love at American Philosophical Association meetings, and courses offered by a small percentage of departments.

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Jay59 said:

The name says it all. Bernini's The Rape of Persephone.

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This stunning sculpture exemplifies the best of the baroque and demonstrates Bernini's ability to handle marble and produce credible figures. Like his other works, the Rape of Persephone is fraught with emotion and tension, achieving a hitherto unseen level of life-like action. Bernini's pieces can always be recognized by the minute attention to detail, grandiose theatricality, and ornate design.

Modern readers should note that in Bernini's time the word "rape" signified "kidnapping"; thus, the sculpture thus represents the kidnapping of Persephone.

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Jay59 said:

The indentation of the fingers is what gets me.

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The relations between the sexes are always in trouble. If they weren’t, the entire genre of musical comedy, and most of literature with it, would be impossible. But on U.S. college campuses today these relations have become ludicrously dysfunctional. We are told, very improbably, that the rate of sexual assault at our most privileged schools is far higher than in slums. Therefore, schools are instructed to adjudicate sexual assault through procedures that no criminal court would ever accept. Proceedings are “investigative,” hence opaque, so everyone can be angry whatever the outcome. These standards allow a male student to be convicted of assault where the alleged victim had texted “do you have a condom?” and, to a friend, “I’m going to have sex now.”

Then there are the national outrages over what turn out to be hoaxes, as at Duke and the University of Virginia. No wonder that a well-known feminist Harvard Law Professor, Janet Halley, and others have found our current procedures deeply unfair. But the adjudication issue is just the visible tip of the volcano; it is a sign that we are more than ordinarily confused about how to think about these things.

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Does this thread properly belong in the Philosophy forum or does it belong here in the Sex and Sexuality forum?

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Are you a sexual optimist or a sexual pessimist?

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Is human being a beast or an angel?

Is human sexuality a bestial instinct or a rational predilection?

Is sex dirty?

Is sex good?

Is sex rule-governed?

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distraff said:

Optimist....

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TrueScotsman said:

...In other words, I believe in a civilized sexuality....

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Sampson Simpson said:

It's purely animalistic, lets be real. It's biology....

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PTF said:

...Optimist...anyone not liking sex should be punished by lethal ejaculation....

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Feminist philosophy is a discipline rich in its diversity of speculative argument and practical politics. Both ancient and contemporary traditions in the philosophy of sex can be characterized by speculative and critical inquiry into the nature, meaning, and value of sex and sexuality. A feminist philosophy of sex acknowledges that women compose a diverse group whose members vary by such features as race, class, ethnicity, nationality, religion, sexual preference, age, and physical ability. This chapter outlines a framework that describes women's sexuality both as a function of women's sexual oppression under conditions of individual and institutionalized male dominance and as a function of women's sexual liberation under those same conditions. Such a framework defines a dialectical and variable relationship between the politics of gender and the erotic possibilities of sex: a woman's gender circumscribes her sexuality within the framework of dominance and submission constitutive of Western cultural conceptions of masculinity and femininity; in opposition to sexual oppression, sexuality informs gender with potentially liberating strategies for transforming women's sexual exploration, sexual pleasure, and sexual agency.

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TrueScotsman said:

I think sexuality has within it, both the optimist and pessimist form. You can have a great relationship and have ZERO problems with sex, or you could have a disorder which gives you hypersexuality which can royally F up your life. Moderation and boundaries suited to the relationships you wish to maintain I think are warranted. In other words, I believe in a civilized sexuality.


Both, though more beast than angel, we only perceive ourselves as holy and pure in human invented mythologies which sought to control human sexuality in cultures.


Both, we can hack our brains to overcome sexual urges and exercise semi-rational decision making on who we sleep with. Obviously sexuality is not ever a wholly rational thing, we are organisms after all, wish selfish genes and elements to our psyche which we are not conscious of.


It can be, and that's f****** awesome!


Sex is literally the greatest thing, since without it all life would cease. We only exist thanks to sex. If anything deserves worship, sex does, or rather your lady while having sex.


Yes, legally the state should intervene in the instance of sexual consent not being honored, and protect the autonomy and safety of persons. People in consensual relationships then come up with their own rules, which may evolve over time in regards to their boundaries.


Don't make me!

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Conceptual philosophy of sex analyses the notions of sexual desire, sexual activity and sexual pleasure. What makes a feeling a sexual sensation? Manipulation of and feelings in the genitals are not necessary, since other body parts yield sexual pleasure. What makes an act sexual? A touch on the arm might be a friendly pat, an assault, or sex; physical properties alone do not distinguish them. What is the conceptual link between sexual pleasure and sexual activity?

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Metaphysical philosophy of sex discusses ontological and epistemological matters: the place of sexuality in human nature; the relationships among sexuality, emotion and cognition; the meaning of sexuality for the person, the species, the cosmos. What is sex all about, anyway?

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Normative philosophy of sex explores the perennial questions of sexual ethics. In what circumstances is it morally permissible to engage in sexual activity or experience sexual pleasure? With whom? For what purpose? With which body parts? For how long?

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