Dear All,
We are
organizing a reading circle based on the topic “Philosophy of
Sex and Sexuality”!
To start a
conversation about sex, we need to be clear what is the
scope of the phenomenon we are talking about. For that we need to
start with sexual desire, which is closely linked to sexual
motivation, arousal, and activity.
That is already
closely connected to issues within politics of sex, sexual
orientation, and sexual identity. When we engage in sexual
acts, we are living out our sexual orientation. Beyond our
orientation, understanding our sexual identity is equally
important as part of our personal identity. On top of that, the
cultural theory of queer sexual identity plays a crucial role in
shaping how we understand and express ourselves in various
contexts.
An interesting
aspect to discuss is normativity and permissibility of sexual
acts under the consideration of sexual orientation and
non-heteronomous identities. When discussing good or bad sex,
we usually assume that consent was given to start the encounter.
Without consent, the focus shifts to the permissibility of the act
itself, with the prevailing view being that consent is morally
transformative from impermissible to permissible. Is having the
right mental state enough, or can it be implied through certain communications?
Additionally, to which acts are we consenting?
Within the scope
of the named phenomenon objectification is a concept,
which can be viewed from different angles. The concept of mutual
objectification refers to the notion when both partners may
objectify each other, which may be seen as problematic because it
reduces a person’s humanity to their body. On the other hand,
objectification can also be viewed from a social perspective,
as feminist philosophers argue. For instance, they claim that
pornography negatively portrays women’s sexuality, reinforcing
harmful stereotypes. In contrast to that, Thomas Nagel offers a
different view on objectification as a complex, multi-leveled
awareness between two people, where both are mutually aware of
each other's desire.
If that
sounds interesting to you, don’t hesitate to send me an email
– I’d love to hear from you! We plan to start the reading
circle next week.
Best,
Kristina