LOA’s Flashcards
(3 cards)
Do religious beliefs and practices concerning sex and relationships have a continuing role in the area of sexual ethics?
Religious ethics continue to influence sexual ethics, but primarily as a cultural and moral counterbalance to extremes in modern sexual behaviour, rather than as an authoritative source of ethical truth.
As society increasingly favours context-sensitive, liberty-based ethical frameworks, religious teachings must adapt to remain relevant, or risk being confined to history.
Should choices in the area of sexual behaviour be entirely private and personal, or should they be subject to societal norms and legislation? (Regarding sexual ethics)
While some societal norms and legal protections (e.g., against coercion, abuse, or exploitation) are vital, the intimate decisions of consenting adults should primarily remain private.
The diversity of cultural and personal values, combined with the dangers of overreaching moral authoritarianism, suggests that sexual ethics should not be entirely dictated by societal norms or legislation.
Instead, ethical reflection should empower individuals to make loving, respectful, and responsible choices—guided, but not ruled, by collective morality.
Are normative theories useful in what they might say about sexual ethics?
• Judgement: Normative ethical theories can be useful in shaping debates about sexual ethics, particularly when they strike a balance between clear moral principles and adaptability to social change. However, the usefulness depends on the context and application.
• Religious theories like Natural Law are too rigid and grounded in outdated socio-economic assumptions. They struggle to offer inclusive or compassionate guidance for contemporary issues like LGBTQ+ rights.
• Situation Ethics presents a more promising religious framework due to its focus on agape, but it risks subjectivity and moral anarchy.
• Secular theories, especially Utilitarianism, are better aligned with liberal modern societies, though they carry the burden of unpredictability and potential superficiality.
• Final line of argument: The most useful normative theories in sexual ethics are those that integrate principled structure with compassionate responsiveness—thus, a refined hybrid approach (e.g. Rule Utilitarianism informed by a Situation Ethics lens) may offer the most ethical, practical, and inclusive guidance.
