Sex and relationships, key philosophers views
- Created by: Coopep
- Created on: 04-04-16 17:32
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- Sex and relationships
- Karl Marx
- When a person uses their body in such a way of a means, he or she feels alienated from his or her own desires and physical self
- Another cost was feeling alienated from human community, missing out on ustatining relationships with others
- Alienated - not just feeling confused or out of it but a person could become merely of use to others
- "a plaything of alien forces"
- you are not your own person
- "a plaything of alien forces"
- When a person uses their body in such a way of a means, he or she feels alienated from his or her own desires and physical self
- Arlie Hochschild
- People can become alienated from an aspect of self-estranged from either her own body or the margin of the soul
- this is "emotional labour"
- Most have jobs which require handling other peoples feelings, women have more jobs which require the handlings of feeling
- Hochschild writes that any functioning society makes use of peoples labour. the problem? it comes with the exploitation of individuals at the bottom of the societal hierarchy by members at the top. exploitation depends on who benefits from emotional labour
- Consider prostitution
- most don't experience sexual pleasure, most dislike the men they are serving
- how does this effect our perception of prostitution?
- in line with Karl's idea that your body isn't yours, its for someone elses use
- what does it matter that prostitutes are very poor?
- they are taken advantage of, they are exploited
- how does this effect our perception of prostitution?
- most don't experience sexual pleasure, most dislike the men they are serving
- this is "emotional labour"
- People can become alienated from an aspect of self-estranged from either her own body or the margin of the soul
- Kant
- No person should be treated as a means
- the capacity to act freely is what gives us our humanity. autonomy is precious
- According to Kant, it is the capacity to choose freely and to aim for goals for their own sake and not for any other person outside reason
- acting freely is different to acting morally. to decide the moral worth, one needs to think about whether someone is doing it because its right, out of a sense of duty and an obligation to do what's right
- The moral worth of an act is not judged on whether someone got help or money. Its judged by the motives of the actor. Morality is duty.
- So, we see there's something about sex that requires two human beings and a bit of mutuality between. Whereas prostitution, the client is engaged with a person not a machine.
- People should not be used as a mean, they should be an end in themselves. humanity is required
- the capacity to act freely is what gives us our humanity. autonomy is precious
- No person should be treated as a means
- Pateman
- nannies provide a service to look after children, prostitution doesn't just sell a service; its not as if this service could be separated from her body, and so in reality she is selling her body
- there are laws against selling body parts, why?
- People in desperate situations would be willing to sell parts for money and financial gain. the rich would have a better life
- Another way to think a out it is that maybe it isn't prostitution said. its not as if the client walks away with a piece of her body
- instead she Is selling the power of command over her body to another person
- She sells command over her body, thus making prostitution a relationship of domination and suburdination
- instead she Is selling the power of command over her body to another person
- there are laws against selling body parts, why?
- nannies provide a service to look after children, prostitution doesn't just sell a service; its not as if this service could be separated from her body, and so in reality she is selling her body
- H.L.Hart
- Hart draws a boundary between public and private sex acts - separating the moral and immoral
- Sexual intercourse between a husband and wife is not immoral, but if it takes place in a public place, it is an affront to human dignity
- On the other hand, he suggests that no private sex act could hurt anyone
- "apart from a few neurotic persons who are disturbed by it"
- On the other hand, he suggests that no private sex act could hurt anyone
- Natural law, Aquinas
- Natural law suggests that every aspect of creation is designed to work in particular ways,.
- to follow these "natural laws" will lead to happiness
- Thomas Aquinas applied that to sexual ethics, arguing that the natural purpose of sexual organs is to reproduce - therefore any sexual act that goes against their true and natural use is seen as a perversion and a sin
- Natural law suggests that every aspect of creation is designed to work in particular ways,.
- Karl Marx
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