Sexual Ethics

Question 1

What are the 3 areas?

Answer 1

Homosexuality

Premarital sex

Extramarital sex

Question 2

Mills non harm principle

Answer 2

Rules are only needed in order to prevent people being harmed

Question 3

Catholic Church on premarital sex

Answer 3

It’s not express, faithfulness, exclusivity and commitment

It is a grave sin, you are excluded from the Sacramental communion until living in a morally correct way

Question 4

Natural Law on sex

Answer 4

Any sexual act where reproduction is not possible, does not achieve its telos

This logically leads to secondary precepts of no to homosexual acts, masturbation, and artificial contraception

Apparent good not a real good

Question 5

Natural Law on marriage

Answer 5

Marriage is fundamentally important, is a means of achieving an ordered society

Generative (bringing new life)

Unitive (bringing the couple together)

Question 6

Natural law extramarital sex

Answer 6

Generation of new life should take place within marriage, the divine law through one of the 10 Commandments makes it very clear that adultery is wrong

Question 7

John Finnis, homosexuality

Answer 7

Giving of life cannot be achieved and thus homosexual sex is instrumental and harmful

Question 8

Oxford University John Finnis

Answer 8

A petition by students, Oxford sought to prevent from his teachings over concern of his writings on homosexuality

Question 9

Natural law is a helpful approach to sex

Answer 9

Avoids cheapening the sex act

Focus on, telos is helpful

Statistical evidence to suggest children unmarried parents are more likely to flourish, stable environment for raising children is an important contribution

Question 10

Natural law is not a helpful approach to sex

Answer 10

If God does not exist, There is no ultimate reason to follow the precepts on sexuality.

Assumes persons have a telos. Could equally be argued that telos for sex acts is pleasure

Naturalistic fallacy , just because something is natural, it is automatically good, is homosexual inclinations are a part of some peoples nature

Sex between infertile as pointless

Not moved with the times, reproductive technologies improved

Question 11

Hugo Grotius

Answer 11

Natural law is built into the universe and would apply even in the absence of God

Question 12

Situation ethics Mrs Bergmeier

Answer 12

WW2, German woman released as she was pregnant

Question 13

Situation ethics is a good approach to sex

Answer 13

Person centred

Flexible, but avoids cheapening sex

Treats people as adults, autonomy

Follow the example of Jesus, who refused to condemn the woman caught in adultery

Question 14

Situation ethics is a poor support approach to sex

Answer 14

Overlooked, that may be absolute in six, in the commandment do not commit adultery

Love is not the sole teaching of Jesus, Jesus is clear about issues such as divorce

Should decisions about the most loving include children who are affected or families who disapprove

Cases over exceptions, and maybe unwise to use them to make general rules

Question 15

Fletcher on sex

Answer 15

Provided acts are based on love, they’re not morally wrong

when individuals behave promiscuously they are ignoring the value and dignity of persons, and are treating them as ‘love objects’

Question 16

Kant on desires

Answer 16

As humans we are persons due to our ability to make free and rational decisions

We have desires as do animals, but we are unique in having will - the ability to make rational decisions about desires

Question 17

Kants concern on sexuality

Answer 17

Reduces us purely to acting on desires, reduced to the level of animals

Question 18

Kant on marriage

Answer 18

Marj does not agreed us, because the couple has freely and rationally chosen to enter into a contract with each other

Will and desire, giving and receiving of persons

Question 19

Kant on premarital sex

Answer 19

It is not based on mutual promise, making, based on animal instincts, and lust

Question 20

Kant on extramarital sex

Answer 20

Would break the promise making made in marriage, cannot be universalised

Treating one, if not both of the parties, as a means to an end

Question 21

Kant on homosexuality

Answer 21

Cannot be universalised

Degradation of human nature based purely on desire, therefore not possible to treat person as an end.

Question 22

Modern Kantians on homosexuality

Answer 22

If married is it allows the person to be treated as an end

Question 23

Advantages of Kant

Answer 23

Respects persons, treating peoples person and not as objects

Gives clear rules, not relying on religion

Emotions can cloud judgement , therefore, relying on logic and rationality is important

Question 24

Disadvantages of Kant

Answer 24

He is wrong in that, assuming everyone could desire homosexuality, universal law. Perfectly possible less than one and 10 people will have a homosexual relationship

Optimism on marriage may be misplaced, over 40% of marriages end in divorce

to suggest an ethical system that dismisses emotions, dismisses a key aspect of humanity

Question 25

Utilitarians on premarital sex

Answer 25

No issues with premarital sex, Mills, active campaigner for contraception among the poor, as over population, causes, more pain and misery

Question 26

Utilitarians on extramarital sex

Answer 26

Should be charged on a case-by-case basis, pain and harm, usually outweighs initial pleasure

Question 27

Richard Taylor
Having Love Affairs

Answer 27

Argues that passionate love is one of life’s greatest goods, there’s nothing wrong with having affairs, or if necessary, concealing the affair in order to prevent harm to another

Question 28

Utilitarians on homosexuality

Answer 28

Bentham and Mill argued no logical reason for it to be illegal at the time

Peter Singer no harm
Principle

Question 29

Utilitarianism is a helpful approach to sexual ethics

Answer 29

Modern and progressive

Secular theory

Flexible, minimal rules. Helpful as sex is a personal, private matter, yet does draw lines at rape and forced prostitution

Question 30

Utilitarianism is not a helpful approach to sex ethics

Answer 30

Benthams ethics, swine ethics -> gang rape

When passions are involved. Judgement is clouded. Emotions change

Tyranny of the majority