1. What are sex and sexual desire according to Goldman? Consider two objections to his theory. Do they succeed?
According to Goldman, sex and sexual desire is the desire to have contact with another person’s body solely for pleasure and desire which comes with physical contact. This sexual activity is only for desire and pleasure. The physical desire might be satisfied by certain activities without genital presence for sexual excitement, such as kissing and caressing. This could be objected by comparing the physical attraction with a baby’s needs. The baby’s desire for cuddling with parents and parent’s response to cuddle with a baby fits well in with this objection. With the baby it is just the desire for physical contact or pleasure from caressing. It could be that neither the infant not the parent’s desires are sexual and not directed towards another specific body as in sexual desire. The physical desire in case of the baby is only for affection, tenderness, or security which the baby might feel only with the physical contact with parents or caregivers. The baby feels for affection with only physical
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Some of the reasons extra-marital sex is considered immoral according to Wasserstrom is that adultery involves breaking a promise made to someone, and breaking a promise is immoral. The promise between a couples involve abstaining from sexual relations with any third persons in which both persons in the relationship has to abstain from sexual relations with any third person in their marriage. If one of the partners breaks this promise then it is not fair to the non adulterous spouse to have been restrained from having extra-marital sex. Also, the non adulterous spouse may feel rejected by the adulterous spouse, as non adulterous spouse (Wasserstrom, 1985, p.
In the book, “On the Meaning of Sex” J. Budziszewski talks about the meaning of sex. Budziszewski states that the issue of sex is one of the most important issues in our culture since the sexual revolution. Budziszewski opens the book by restating a conversation he once had with a student about the Book, “Brave New World.” The student states that the people are revolting and disgusting. Budziszewski is delighted by this statement. He believes that the student and himself are on the same page. Budziszewski responds to the student by agreeing and saying that there needs to be some meaning to sex. However; the student replies by saying, that the manner in which babies are “born” in the brave new world is disgusting and that sex doesn’t necessarily
Masters and Johnson were a pioneering team in the field of human sexuality, both in the domains of research and therapy. William Howell Masters, a gynecologist, was born in Cleveland, Ohio in 1915. Virginia Eshelman Johnson, a psychologist, was born in Springfield, Montana in 1925. To fully appreciate their contribution, it is necessary to see their work in historic context. In 1948, Alfred C. Kinsey and his co-workers, responding to a request by female students at Indiana University for more information on human sexual behavior, published the book Sexual Behavior in the Human Male. They followed this five years later with Sexual Behavior in the Human Female. These books began a revolution in social awareness of and public attention given to human sexuality. At the time, public morality severely restricted open discussion of sexuality as a human characteristic, and specific sexual practices, especially sexual behaviors that did not lead to procreation. Kinsey's books, which among other things reported findings on the frequency of various sexual practices including homosexuality, caused a furor. Some people felt that the study of sexual behavior would undermine the family structure and damage American society. It was in this climate - one of incipient efforts to break through the denial of human sexuality and considerable resistance to these efforts - that Masters and Johnson began their work. Their primary contribution has been to help define sexuality as a healthy human trait and the experience of great pleasure and deep intimacy during sex as socially acceptable goals. As a physician interested in the nature of sexuality and the sexual experience, William Masters wanted to conduct research that would lead to an objective understanding of these topics. In 1957, he hired Virgina Johnson as a research assistant to begin this research issue. Together they developed polygraph-like instruments that were designed to measure human sexual response. Using these tools, Masters and Johnson initiated a project that ultimately included direct laboratory observation and measurement of 700 men and women while they were having intercourse or masturbating. Based on the data collected in this study, they co-authored the book Human Sexual Response in 1966. In this book, they identify and describe four phases in the human sexual response cycle : excitement, plateau, orgasm, and resolution. By this point in time, the generally repressive attitude toward sexuality was beginning to lift and the book found a ready audience.
Numerous advances led to Sigmund Freud’s inspirational Stages of Psychosexual Development, and it was Freud that introduced a clear theory explaining the process by which infants develop into adults. The transition from the Oral, Anal and Phallic stages begins to help us understand some of the processes that might lead to understanding attachment issues. Freud argued that humans are born “polymorphously perverse,” the idea that any number of objects could be a source of pleasure. While relief from stress observed in a child might be interpreted as simply the absence of emotional pain, on a deeper level, re-attachment and physical closeness to a caregiver after prolonged separation should result in a pleasurable experience. Setting aside for the moment the sexual aspects of Freud’s theory, the basis of his premise remains one of the human connection that is gained through some form of physical contact, be it obtained from others or themselves. (Stevenson, 2001)
In this paper I will be looking at Goldman’s definition of sexual desire and discussing why it may be too broad of a definition. I will also suggest ways in which Goldman’s definition could be improved with a little specificity.
Unlike sex, the history of sexuality is dependant upon society and limited by its language in order to be defined and understood.
According to Freud's The Interpretation of Dreams we all have wishes and desires. One of the most common of these repressed desires is the wish to sexually pos...
In examining and analyzing different theories and reasoning, Is adultery immoral? By Richard Wasserstrom. No, adultery isn’t always immoral by the virtue of having cases where adultery is acceptable and moral. As defined by Wasserstrom, adultery is any case of sexual activity outside of marriage. I agree with Wasserstrom’s approach that you can’t disregard the cases where extramarital sex is moral.
In today’s society, adultery is not viewed as it would have been viewed back in the 1600’s. Adultery is defined as a voluntary sexual intercourse between a married person and a person who is not his or her spouse. In society today, people understand that it is not right to commit adultery, despite knowing that it is often done more. Adultery is committed more now, in the view of its not a punishable act, as it was in the 1600’s. Committing adultery in the 1600’s was considered committing one of the sins that can not be forgiven. Many people were killed for this type of act, however as generations past people begin to view adultery differently.
“There must be integrity between body and life. You must not do with your body what you’re not willing to do with your whole life” (Keller). Keller is directly talking about our individual sexual morality and how or how not it should be perceived in a social context. Most people think sexual dilemmas of it in a broader spectrum, not directly related to one’s morality, by saying “this act isn’t right” where others may simply say “why not”. Yet, what justifies an act for one person and condemns it for another? More importantly on what grounds do they condone their actions? Sexual morality can be described as: a communal and personal benchmarks for which we model are social relationships, as it pertains to all and every segment of engaging in sexual activities. This is not a limitless definition; it ranges from contact with one’s self or another, the context in which the act was preformed, and in some cases the place where it was performed. It can even be as controversial as what type of physical contact is considered sexual. All these guidelines must be met by our own standards to justify the sexual acts we partake in.
"They turn casually to look at you, distracted, and get a mild distracted surprise, you're gone. Their blank look tells you that the girl they were fucking is not there anymore. You seem to have disappeared.(pg.263)" In Minot's story Lust you are play by play given the sequential events of a fifteen year old girls sex life. As portrayed by her thoughts after sex in this passage the girl is overly casual about the act of sex and years ahead of her time in her awareness of her actions. Minot's unique way of revealing to the reader the wild excursions done by this young promiscuous adolescent proves that she devalues the sacred act of sex. Furthermore, the manner in which the author illustrates to the reader these acts symbolizes the likeness of a list. Whether it's a list of things to do on the weekend or perhaps items of groceries which need to be picked up, her lust for each one of the boys in the story is about as well thought out and meaningful as each item which has carelessly and spontaneously been thrown on to a sheet of paper as is done in making a list. This symbolistic writing style is used to show how meaningless these relationships were but the deeper meaning of why she acted the way she did is revealed throughout the story. Minot cleverly displayed these catalysts in between the listings of her relationships.
Psychology is defined as the science of mind and behavior its immediate goal is to understand humanity by both discovering general principles and exploring specific cases. There have been numerous developments of psychology thanks to the magnificent works of Jean Piaget, Lawrence Kohlberg, and Sigmund Freud. Each discovery has its own point of view; Piaget’s theory of Cognitive Development point was made for parents and teachers challenge the child's abilities, Kohlberg’s theory of Moral Development was based on the understandings of moral concepts such as justice, rights, equality and human welfare. The Freud's Theory of Psychosexual Development centered on the effects of the sexual pleasure drive on the individual psyche.
Adultery is a horrible sin to commit, but it can actually be avoided, although many people in today's society respond differently based on their religion and culture. When a person commits adultery they fail in keeping his/her commitment to their partner. When adultery happens the trust is broken in the relationship and the other person will feel deceived and betrayed.
People tend to associate with others who share the same values and morals as they do. People who are unfaithful tend to assume that everyone is, while those who remain faithful tend to believe that extramarital affairs are unusual. Since infidelity takes on several different forms, it is appropriate to consider the fact that many people believe that this sort of behaviour would be considered acceptable.
DeLamater, J. & Hyde, J. (1998). Essentialism vs. social constructionism in the study of human sexuality. Journal Of Sex Research, 35(1), 10-18.
Sex is generally defined the medical definition involving the sex organs, and participation by more than one party, but as humans are complicated beings this is insufficient to provide an account of sex. In Thomas Nagel’s essay “Sexual Perversion” he addresses the psychological account of sexuality with a phenomenological approach. Nagel describes a scenario of Romeo being aroused by Juliet, and Juliet being aroused by Romeo, and Romeo being aroused by Juliet’s arousal, and so on and so forth (Nagel 37). This progression of sexual arousal between two parties is the basis for which Nagel understands of sex. This progression eventuates in physical contact wherein the other becomes more and more “possesible” by physical contact, and the progression of arousal (Nagel 39). This progression of arousal in two parties, and the embodiment by physical contact is how Nagel describes sex. This definition provides Nagel with a basis for describing sexual perversion as anything that lacks the progression of arousal between two or more conscious individuals eventuating in physical contact that emb...