Sexual Ethics A02 Flashcards
1
Q
religion is IRRELEVANT in modern debates about sexual ethics
A
- decline in religious views and adherence to religious rules
- Bible as source of moral authority is outdated - women seen as property of husband in it e.g. which us rejected by many
- secularisation - church and state are separate and so laws concerning S&R like decriminalisation of homosexuality largely ignore religious view
- conservative Christian viewpoint on homosexuality rejected by most
- Gay marriage legalised in 2013
- conserv Christian view on cohabitation largely ignored/rejected
- many people now believe living together in a LT stable relationship acceptable
- even some Christians do
- many Catholics ignore the ban on contraception and cohabitation
2
Q
religion IS RELEVANT in modern debates about sexual ethics
A
- live in secular society but many people are religious and so relevant to them
- Christian view of extramarital sex as sin/wrong is supported by society/ the non-religious
- (C) view of marriage reminds us of important and (+) role love, marriage and family has in society
- seeks to protection institution of marriage as something beneficial
- this view led many gay people to seek marriage rights
- (C) view on casual sex/promiscuity reminds us of serious nature of sex
- if people were more discerning in their partners we’d have fewer STIs and unwanted pregnancies
- NL - unitive aspect of sex requires sex and love go together - shouldn’t be separated
3
Q
religious beliefs and practices do have a continuing role in the area of sexual ethics
A
- most societies influenced by religiously framed ethical value systems which affect law
- e.g. results in criminalisation of extramarital and homosexual sex in Sudan
- Iraq been gay is punishable by death
- religion corresponds with modern secular ethical values - may not be justified in same way but share common understanding of right and wrong
- (C) rules about sanctity of marriage were developed to protect women from concubinage e.g.
- (C) marriage values consent and regulation of sexual relationships through marriage
- consent important for people today religious or not
- law makes non consent sex illegal
- don’t need to share religious beliefs that justify these values but can still conclude they’re right
4
Q
religious beliefs and practices do not have a continuing role in the area of sexual ethics
A
- in UK, link between (C) values and law coming under pressure
- law no longer reflects traditional (C) view on homosexuality - decrim in 1967
- no place for religion when prevailing culture has a different understanding of S&R and their conduct
- in parts of world homosexuals oppressed for crimes founded on religious beliefs
- often beliefs based on particular interpretations of sacred texts that may be challenged by other people practicing the same religion
- involving religion in setting social norms for sexual ethics is problematic
5
Q
individual obligation of religious beliefs in the continuing role of sexual ethics
A
- ethics concerned with personal as well as societal conduct
- if religion understood as a way of life that individuals choose to follow freely then to ignore it in matters of sex seems to relegate it to the margins of life which would be unacceptable because sex touches on the fundamentals of human nature
- its a juggling act for Christians when it comes to ethical obligations promoted by their religion but not supported by law or the prevailing culture in which they live
6
Q
why is sex personal
A
- what goes on in a person’s private life, how they express themselves and relate to others sexually is nobody’s businesses but their own
- sex is thus freed from social obligations and constrained only by an individual’s sexual ethical code
- from this perspective rules that prohibit homosexual and extramarital sex e.g. are inappropriate
7
Q
why is sex never exclusively private, how is it both public and private
A
- involved another person
- as humans are sexual beings the way people live their sex lives affect how they relate to wider society
- a society that advocates extramarital sex e.g. would put marriages at risk which can have (-) affects for the adults and kids involved
- society also supports particular sexual relationships e.g. tax breaks to married couples
- link between sex and reproduction also adds a social dimension
- this private act is the way life and society is created
8
Q
what would Utilitarianism have to say about whether sex should be private or public and subject social norms and laws
A
- seek to maximise happiness for greatest number of people but are in danger of allowing the majority to determine rules that will bind some into unhappy situation e.g. homosexuals
- libertarians want to free individuals from this kind of restriction
- Mill a utilitarian libertarian advances higher qualities of good as something the majority must respect
- places happiness of the minority above the pain of the majority to ensure the rules do not condemn the minority to unhappiness
- such freedoms may threaten social organisations though
9
Q
what would Kantian ethics have to say about whether sex should be private or public and subject to social norms and laws
A
- Kantians want sexual relations to be governed by ethical principles and for any laws developed by society to be informed by those principles
- for Kant in contrast to legal rules, social rules may not always reflect the correct principles but moral people should act as if they do (as if living in Kingdom of Ends)
10
Q
what does NL have to say about whether sex should be private or public and subject to social norms and laws
A
- argue for establishment of moral laws governing sex
11
Q
what would Situation Ethics have to say about whether sex should be private or public and subject to social norms and laws
A
- most permissive and accepting of sexual behaviour as private and personal because it was devised to permit the setting aside of social rules if that’s the most loving thing to do
12
Q
is situation ethics useful in what it says about sex
A
- provides way of thinking about morality of sex in extreme circumstances where it might be the most loving thing to do to break the prevailing social rules
- focuses on individual or people involved
- makes space for those who are different as designed to deal with exceptions
- does not clearly articulate how the social implications of sexual relationships could be addressed
13
Q
is NL useful in what it says about sex
A
- places needs of community and importance of creating a good society above individual personal concerns
- offers an approach focused on establishing clear rules for society
- provides a system for making sense of all moral behaviour yet is forgiving enough to recognise that humans do sometimes make mistakes
- acknowledges people may do things wrongly believing they are right
- NL may be used in ways that narrowly define the purpose of human beings and can therefore be used to create rules that are too prescriptive in its search for uniformity
14
Q
is Utilitarianism useful in what it says about sex
A
- seeks greatest happiness for greatest number
- might encourage a free approach to sex if happiness is equated with pleasure
- though it is arguably whether ‘free love’ necessarily produced the deep happiness that can be found in more meaningful and committed relationships
- Utilitarian’s who seek to measure pleasure qualitatively would limit the extent to which the freedoms of the majority could control the freedoms of the minority
- takes a societal view of morality which perhaps makes it less useful when it comes to personal questions of sexuality
15
Q
is Kantian ethics useful in what it says about sex
A
- offer principles for every aspect of human life
- seeks to ensure social and legal rules take account of the importance of freedom and human dignity
- emphasises an individuals’ responsibility to act ethically and the need for a universal approach to morality
- Kant’s approach to ethics does not prescribe particular rules, it prescribes the principles that underpin those rules
- thus arguably most adaptable
- can inform both personal choices and law
- recognises both the inherent value of the individual human life and also the importance of ensuring people live with each other and treat each other fairly
