Product Key Features
Number of Pages296 Pages
Publication NamePhilosophizing about Sex
LanguageEnglish
Publication Year2015
SubjectSocial, Human Sexuality (See Also Social Science / Human Sexuality)
TypeTextbook
Subject AreaPhilosophy, Psychology
AuthorRobert Scott Stewart, Laurie J. Shrage
Additional Product Features
Intended AudienceScholarly & Professional
LCCN2016-304600
ReviewsA superb new text in the philosophy of sex! Shrage and Stewart review the central issues and classic texts along with the newest issues arising as law, technology, and mores change (for instance: cyber-rape). A first-rate overview of the literature, both historical and contemporary, and a riveting discussion of conceptual and ethical issues. The book is clearly written and accessible, with plenty of rich examples as well as philosophical depth - I am looking forward to using it in class!
Dewey Edition23
Dewey Decimal306.701
Table Of ContentPreface Chapter 1 Defining Sex What Is a Sexual Act? How Many People Does It Take to Have Sex? Is Cybersex Genuine Sex? Does Sex Have a Purpose? Chapter 2 Sexual Attraction Do Opposites Attract? How Are a Person's Sex, Gender, and Sexual Orientation Related? Are We Born Gay or Straight? Chapter 3 Sexual Objectification and Autonomy Is It Wrong to Sexually Objectify Someone? Is Consent a Sufficient Condition for Moral Sex? Is It Wrong to Pay, or Be Paid, for Sex? What Does It Mean to Have Sexual Autonomy? What Is the Connection between "Exoticizing" and "Eroticizing" Someone? Chapter 4 Sex and Violence Are Laws Prohibiting Sexual Offenses Effective and Just? Why Do Some Governments Take Steps to Eradicate Sexual Harassment? Are Sexual Assaults More Injurious than Other Kinds of Assaults? Is Cyber-rape a Form of Sexual Assault, Sexual Harassment, or Offensive Speech? Is Rape a Byproduct or a Weapon of War? Is Manipulative Sexual Seduction Fair Play? Chapter 5 Sexual Perversion and Sodomy Laws How Do We Distinguish "Normal," Weird, Unnatural, Perverted, and Harmful Sex? Should There Be Laws against Sodomy? Is Perverse Sex Morally Bad? What Are the Advantages and Disadvantages of Solitary Sex? Chapter 6 Sex and Marriage Must Marital Partners Be Sexual Partners? Who Should Be Allowed to Marry? Should Adulterers Be Subject to Criminal or Civil Penalties? Does Arranged Marriage Violate Sexual Autonomy? Is Virginity Valuable in a Potential Spouse? Chapter 7 Sex and Children What Should Children and Adolescents Be Taught about Sex? Who Should Provide Sex Education: Parents, Schools, or Health-care Providers? Do Public Sex-education Programs Serve the Public Good? Is Sex Always Harmful for Children? Chapter 8 Sexual Speech and the Freedom of Expression How Is Child Pornography Harmful? Are Child and Adult Pornography Significantly Different? Are Stripping and Lap-dancing Art Forms, and Should They Be Protected Forms of Self-expression? Why Does the Topic of Sex Make Us Laugh? Does Sexual Speech in a Workplace Generally Involve Sexual Harassment? Chapter 9 Sexual Privacy Why Is Sexual Privacy Important? Is It Wrong to Force Someone "Out of the Closet"? When Does "Sexting" Violate a Person's Privacy? How Should Violations of Sexual Privacy Be Treated and Punished? Chapter 10 Sex and Responsibility What Should We Be Required to Disclose about Ourselves to Our Sexual Partners before Engaging in Sex? Can Sex or Porn Be Addictive? Should Fatherhood Be a Choice? Are We Responsible for the Fetuses We Unintentionally Create? Do Committed Relationships Entail Special Moral and Sexual Duties? Chapter 11 The Scientific and Medical Study of Sex Can Sex Be Studied Scientifically? Is Sexology a Science? Why Does the Female Orgasm Puzzle Scientists? What Are the Criteria of Sexual Dysfunction and When Is Medical Intervention Appropriate? Chapter 12 Sex and the Limits of Tolerance in Secular Democratic Societies Should We Care about the Sexual Improprieties of Our Political Leaders? Should Genital Cutting Practices Be Tolerated? Should BDSM Be Restricted? Index
SynopsisAncient Greek philosophers, medieval theologians, Enlightenment thinkers, and contemporary humanists alike have debated all aspects of human sexuality, including its purpose, permissibility, normalcy, and risks. Philosophizing About Sexprovides a philosophical guide to those longstanding and important debates. Each chapter takes a general issue (freedom, privacy, objectification, etc.) and shows how ongoing public discussions of sexuality can be illuminated by careful philosophical investigation. Debates over topics such as sexual assault, sexual orientation, sex education, prostitution, and "sexting" involve larger questions about morality, law, science, and politics and cannot be intelligently discussed in isolation from broader issues. By asking deceptively simple questions, this book shows how difficult but important it is to arrive at satisfying answers., "A first-rate overview of the literature, both historical and contemporary, and a riveting discussion of conceptual and ethical issues. The book is clearly written and accessible, with plenty of rich examples as well as philosophical depth." -- Elizabeth Brake, Arizona State University
LC Classification NumberHQ23