Sexual Desire: A Philosophical InvestigationA&C Black, 5. märts 2006 - 448 pages A dazzling treatise, as erudite and eloquent as Simone de Beauvoir's The Second Sex and considerably more sound in its conclusion - TLS "He is an eloquent and practised writer" - The Independent (UK) When John desires Mary or Mary desires John, what does either of them want? What is meant by innocence, passion, love and arousal, desire, perversion and shame? These are just a few of the questions Roger Scruton addresses in this thought-provoking intellectual adventure. Beginning from purely philosophical premises, and ranging over human life, art and institutions, he surveys the entire field of sexuality; equally dissatisfied with puritanism and permissiveness, he argues for a radical break with recent theories. Upholding traditional morality - though in terms that may shock many of its practitioners - his argument gravitates to that which is candid, serene and consoling in the experience of sexual love. |
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... moral sentiments with an allegedly ' scientific ' description of the facts which threaten them . The final outcome ... moral understanding , will outweigh the moral cost . Earlier versions of the text were read by Joanna North , John ...
... moral and emotional distance that separates Kant from Plato , and despite Kant's remorseless pessimism about the erotic life of mankind . It is one major purpose of this work to combat the Platonic theory . I shall argue , not against ...
... moral scruples . And , although I shall be sparing in my moral conclusions -- having neither the space nor the inclination to consider all that must be considered in order to present a comprehensive sexual ethic — I hope that at least ...
... moral law . Persons are moral agents ; their actions have not only causes , but also reasons . They make decisions for the future , and so have intentions in addition to desires . They do not allow themselves always to be swept along by ...
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Contents
1 | |
16 | |
36 | |
4 Desire | 59 |
5 The individual object | 94 |
6 Sexual phenomena | 138 |
7 The science of sex | 180 |
8 Love | 213 |
11 Sexual morality | 322 |
12 The politics of sex | 348 |
Epilogue | 362 |
Appendix 1 The first person | 364 |
Appendix 2 Intentionality | 377 |
Notes | 392 |
Index of Names | 419 |
Index of Subjects | 424 |