...Philosophy of Sexuality The Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy - http://www.iep.utm.edu Philosophy of Sexuality Among the many topics explored by the philosophy of sexuality are procreation, contraception, celibacy, marriage, adultery, casual sex, flirting, prostitution, homosexuality, masturbation, seduction, rape, sexual harassment, sadomasochism, pornography, bestiality, and pedophilia. What do all these things have in common? All are related in various ways to the vast domain of human sexuality. That is, they are related, on the one hand, to the human desires and activities that involve the search for and attainment of sexual pleasure or satisfaction and, on the other hand, to the human desires and activities that involve the creation of new human beings. For it is a natural feature of human beings that certain sorts of behaviors and certain bodily organs are and can be employed either for pleasure or for reproduction, or for both. The philosophy of sexuality explores these topics both conceptually and normatively. Conceptual analysis is carried out in the philosophy of sexuality in order to clarify the fundamental notions of sexual desire and sexual activity. Conceptual analysis is also carried out in attempting to arrive at satisfactory definitions of adultery, prostitution, rape, pornography, and so forth. Conceptual analysis (for example: what are the distinctive features of a desire that make it sexual desire instead of something else? In what ways does seduction...
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...Among the many topics explored by the philosophy of sexuality are procreation, contraception, celibacy, marriage, adultery, casual sex, flirting, prostitution, homosexuality, masturbation, seduction, rape, sexual harassment, sadomasochism, pornography, bestiality, and pedophilia. What do all these things have in common? All are related in various ways to the vast domain of human sexuality. That is, they are related, on the one hand, to the human desires and activities that involve the search for and attainment of sexual pleasure or satisfaction and, on the other hand, to the human desires and activities that involve the creation of new human beings. For it is a natural feature of human beings that certain sorts of behaviors and certain bodily organs are and can be employed either for pleasure or for reproduction, or for both. The philosophy of sexuality explores these topics both conceptually and normatively. Conceptual analysis is carried out in the philosophy of sexuality in order to clarify the fundamental notions of sexual desire and sexual activity. Conceptual analysis is also carried out in attempting to arrive at satisfactory definitions of adultery, prostitution, rape, pornography, and so forth. Conceptual analysis (for example: what are the distinctive features of a desire that make it sexual desire instead of something else? In what ways does seduction differ from nonviolent rape?) is often difficult and seemingly picky, but proves rewarding in unanticipated and surprising...
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...There are many philosophies and myths about conflicts between humans’ body and the mind. Major role in this conflict plays religion – Christianity. Religion has always tried to limit people’s sexual desires and needs. One of the major beliefs in Christianity regarding sexuality is that every sexual act that happens outside of marriage and not for reproduction purposes is considered a sin. What are the bases to this strong belief in Christianity? The bases of the rules for this religion come from a concept of Platonic dualism, Stoicism and Gnosticism movements, and Augustin’s contribution; all these historical beliefs influenced religion because they implement that there is a conflict between the soul and the body. These theories and beliefs impacted on people’s view on sexuality because people held their sexual needs within themselves to help their soul find salvation....
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...and unmistakably re-repressed" (Davis 3). Supreme Court judgment and actions taken by Congress with the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy exemplify theories of sexuality and power expressed in the philosophies of Michel Foucault. Foucault was a French-born philosopher historian. He examined social institutions such as medicine, psychiatry, the prison system, and the human sciences in general. Specifically he focused on how these institutions relate to power interactions. For a time he was associated with structuralism, which is an intellectual movement in which the culture of humanity is semiotically analyzed. However he distanced himself from the structuralism movement after the 60s. He wrote on a wide array of topics from knowledge to power and discourse. He considered himself "Nietzschean" (Fox 169). In viewing his own system of philosophy this way, he rejected the postmodernist label attributed to him. In fact, he held that his work was in line with the modernity of the philosophies of Kant. In The History of Sexuality Foucault examined the role of sex and gender in power relations. This three volume series was published in 1984. In the first volume, Foucault explores the functioning of sexuality as a way to analyze the relationship between power and the science of sexuality. Foucault's History defined sexuality as "the set of effects produced in bodies, behaviors, and...
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...perspective and interpretation of the textbook: The Gift of Sex: A Guideline to Sexual Fulfillment (Penner & Penner, 2003). Discussed will be the topics of sexuality as a gift from God and what the Bible says about sexuality and the role of sex within the marriage. The topic of the physical dimensions will also be explored to include our bodies and discovering and sharing of our body, as well as, how our bodies work and the sexual responses. We will also discuss the experience of our sexuality and methods to explore and meet our and our partner’s sexual needs and desires. An exploration of the topic of sexual dysfunction will also be addressed and the methods of dealing with these issues. Lastly we will discuss the methods by which one may enhance their sexual experience to make it more meaningful and pleasurable. One’s sexuality and desire for intimacy is a gift from God and it is to be treated as such in accordance with God’s guidelines and laws. The Bible tells us in Genesis 1 27-28: “So God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number”. (Holy Bible, NIV, 2003). The textbook: The Gift of Sex: A Guideline to Sexual Fulfillment states that the Bible refers to sexuality as a prized gift and that sex is designated for marriage because of the commitment that it is within. It also refers to sex as a relationship between two people...
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...their bodies and sexuality to influence the decisions of men. This also proves to be true in most present-day cultures around the world. Though a large majority of the countries of the world are led by men, women have a way of influencing men in their decisions. In both Lysistrata and The Thousand and One Nights, women have great influences on men in power to positively affect the community or kingdom in which the story takes place. In both literary works, this influence from the women brought peace to a society previously in turmoil. The way that women influence men in these works indicates that women in these cultures were able to use their sexuality to earn the right to speak into a man’s life, as they still do today, and positively influence the decisions of men in power due to their nurturing nature and community mindedness. In The Thousand and One Nights, King Shahrayar, the king of Persia, was causing turmoil as he sought vengeance on women for their infidelity by sleeping with a virgin every night and killing her the next morning. The protagonist, Shahrazad, daughter of the king’s vizier, was determined to bring peace back to the kingdom by putting a stop to the king’s slaughter. After Shahrazad volunteered to be the king’s next victim, she used her sexuality in sleeping with the king to gain respect and the right to speak in the king’s chamber. It was not her sexuality that saved her life, but her intellect and storytelling. However, her sexuality opened up the opportunity...
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...website: http//www.rug.nl/filosofie/GRIPh/workingpapers What is love? A Conceptual Analysis of “Love”, focusing on the Love Theories of Plato, St. Augustine and Freud CONTENTS INTRODUCTION............................................................................................................. 1 1. FORMAL ANALYSIS OF LOVE............................................................................... 3 2. SEMANTIC ANALYSIS OF LOVE........................................................................... 6 3. HISTORICAL ANALYSIS OF LOVE....................................................................... 9 3.1 ANCIENT GREEK PHILOSOPHY: PLATO ..................................................................... 11 3.2 CHRISTIAN PHILOSOPHY: SAINT AUGUSTINE............................................................ 18 3.3 MODERN PHILOSOPHY: FREUD ................................................................................. 27 4. COMPARATIVE EVALUATION............................................................................ 37 CONCLUSIONS ............................................................................................................. 40 REFERENCES................................................................................................................ 43 Introduction The starting point of this paper is the question: “What is love?”, or, in other words, how can we understand or even define the concept of love? To clarify this question we have...
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...Joshua Paduano April 17, 2012 Longer Paper #1 PHL 302 – Pierce “Sexually Using Another Person” In his article, Thomas Mappes talks about coercion and deception amid individuals who are responsible for using another person without their conversant, intended consent. Mappes tries to verify when it is immoral for one person to utilize another as a means to exploit the user and when one is responsible of sexually using another person[1]. He asserts that using another person is acceptable when both parties have agreed upon their intended and informed consent. Information must be accessible to enable persons to willingly decide whether or not to partake.[2] It is to guarantee respect for persons through stipulation of considerate consent for a controlled act. When you break down the article, you can separate the heroes from the demons. The heroes are people who are trustworthy, keep their promises, and respect the right of others[3]. These types of people are generally good and have a type of care and/or compassion for others. They ultimately care about the other person who is involved and present an interest towards their well-being. The demons on the other hand are those who may be seen as rapists, liars, controlling people, exploiters of kids, psychologically handicapped, and economically susceptible persons[4]. These are people who have no care towards anyone, and generally hurt others physically and/or mentally. Based on the accounts by Mappes, those who...
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...Gender, Sexuality, and religious identity * Gender - what society expect male and female bodies to be doing (jobs, relationship, etc are appropriate) * Are culture with should nurture and men shouldn’t be very emotional * Sex is the biological features which distinctly separates males and females * In some cultures there are more than 2 sexes * In western cultures we like procreation * Sexuality – has do with your sex and gender and how you interact with others * Why does Christianity tie so closely to heterosexual relationships? The Jewish people didn’t let others join their religion so the only way they were going to increase the population is by having their own kids with a women. Men need to trust themselves as to who their offspring is and women can only have kids with one man * Homosexuals were not accepted * Masturbation was not accepted * You could not pull out while having sex * All of this was the worry of wasting the mans seed * Christians basically took this idea from Judaism * The fact that our sexuality is an identity is a modern thing * World religions are religions have a patriotically system and heterosexual system * EG. In catholic churches the priest are called “father”, and God is called the “holy father” * Mainstream – supports patriotically system * Marginal – does not support it * Confirmatory – those who accept the social systems around * Challenging – challenge social systems ...
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...Third, Freud’s interactions with neurotic homosexual patients exhibit behaviors of self-destruction and aggression, suggesting the homosexual is attempting to blend in with their heterosexual counterparts. In most of Freud’s work, he conflates the homosexual and the neurotic patient, even referring to homosexuality as a sort of neurotic sexuality. This comes from the fact that all of his patients with neuroticism also were homosexual. "The unconscious mental life of all neurotics (without exception) shows [homosexual] impulses, fixation of their libido upon persons of their own sex. … an unconscious tendency to homosexuality] is never absent and is of particular value in throwing light upon hysteria in men" (Three…Sexuality 22-3). He suggests...
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...stepping on quicksand would start to sink. I am inclined to believe that the usage of this image was chosen not at random. The title gives us a clue that the poem is going to be about the duality of love. Like everything else in the world, love has both positive and negative faces. What appears to be solid and stable might collapse, when one comes closer. The poem „ Sables mouvants“ also examines the themes of the transience of time and sexuality. The repetition of “Demons et merveilles / vents et marees ” expresses the duality of love. One imagines demons as something magical, evil, dark, dangerous, and insidious. Because of our knowledge of mythology and religion, demons remind us of seduction (for example, Eve and the Serpent, The Bible) and sin. On the other hand, merveilles create the impression of something enchanting and delightful. The contrast between demons and merveilles shows us that what appears pure and fascinating, might allure into danger and darkness. What is more, vents et marees can be regarded as a hint of sensuality and sexuality. It impersonates force, strength and power. Wind and undulating sea might be understood as an expression of irrepressible passion. Vents et marrees are a part of nature, which is uncontrollable like the passions of human beings sometimes are. Neither vents, nor marees are eternal. Wind calms down as unexpectedly as it arises, so does passion. It is shown in the next line: ‘au loin deja’. Repeating the picture of...
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...Feminism: Feminism is a diverse, competing, and often opposing collection of social theories, political movements, and moral philosophies, largely motivated by or concerning the experiences of women, especially in terms of their social, political, and economical inequalities. One institutionally predominant type of feminism focuses on limiting or eradicating gender inequality to promote women's rights, interests, and issues in society. Another opposing type of modern feminism, with deep historical roots, focuses on earning, and establishing equity by and for women, vis-a-vis men, to promote those same rights, interests, and issues, regardless of gender considerations. Thus, as with any ideology, political movement or philosophy, there is no single, universal form of feminism that represents all feminists. The most well-known types of feminism are: liberal feminism, social feminism, radical feminism, and post-modern feminism. Liberal feminism seeks no special privileges for women and simply demand that everyone receive equal consideration without discrimination on the basis of sex. Liberal feminists would seek to remove barriers that prevent equal access for women to information technology jobs not only to provide economic equality but to provide access to higher-paying jobs for women. In contrast to liberal feminism, socialist feminism rejects individualism and positivism. Social feminism believes that technology and the social shaping of technology have often been conceptualized...
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...Sun Ra, a beloved jazz musician by many for his genre-bending style and creativity, is left out of a lot of histories of jazz e.g., every book and film I absorbed this semester leaves him out of the jazz narrative, why? Sun Ra is both praised and criticized for his creatively avant-garde representation of jazz. A brief background of the musician shows that he started playing piano at around the age of 11. In 1936, at age 22, he decided to drop out of college to pursue a musical vocation. Additionally, he claimed he was transported to the planet Saturn and told to drop out to teach through music. Nonetheless, ten years later he began playing for such acts as Wynonie Harris, Billie Holiday, Lil Green, Fletcher Henderson and formed a trio with...
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...Michelle V Philosophy and Feminism Paper 2 Sex, sexually, and sexuality are terms with many meanings and many nuances. Different groups of people may view sexuality in different ways, and oftentimes do, creating even more of a varied definition to these terms. Robert Nozick, in Sexuality, tries to set up a well-developed definition and overall perspective of sexual activity. However, Nozick doesn’t take into account all of the variables involved in something so broadly practiced, yet also vary particular in nature to a person or a person’s desires. Before discussing Nozick’s shortcomings, an in depth look at his overall standpoint seems to be in order. Nozick believes that “the most intense way we relate to another person is sexually” (272). “Only in sex,” Nozick says, “is such an intense excitement shared with the object and cause of it” (272). The interactions of the partners are part of what makes sexual activity so ground-breaking to Nozick. He discusses the role of trust, which is of vital importance. He point out that only in a trusting interaction can one show their own sexual desires and vulnerabilities. Nozick also believes that sexuality is good for a person in the sense that, “it is not only the other person who is known more deeply in sex. One knows one’s own self better in experiencing what it is capable of: passion, love, aggression, vulnerability, domination, playfulness, infantile pleasure, joy. The depth of relaxing afterward is a measure of the fullness...
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...her appearance’ (Betteron 1987) Clothes, make-up and demeanour constitute identity, sexuality and social position are some of elements that constitutes a feminine body. And for centuries, Western fashion has resolutely inclined towards a more structured and tailored kind of silhouette, which exalted the virtues of sexuality, glamour and status—the backbone of the European haute couture design. Western female clothes have historically been designed to exemplify the contours of the body. While 1980s was majorly characterized by everything glitzy and glamour – with people earning big money and spending conspicuously, the era saw a emergence of a new generation of young Japanese designers whose designs exemplified the ideology of “anti-fashion” and some of these designers were Issey Miyake and Yohji Yamamoto. The purpose of this essay is to see how Miyake and Yohji’s emergence and their unconventional design philosophy, silhouettes they created and techniques they have adopted, have called forth a new interpretation of the existing regulations and norms of clothing and fashion; and how women should be perceived and represented. To see how the representation and perception of the feminine body and western fashion had been drastically changed since the emergence of Japanese design in 1980s, it is important to compare and contrast both Miyake and Yamamoto’s work, in terms of how their philosophy has brought upon this new change. It was evident that both Miyake and Yamamoto were...
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