Office and hours:
CC273; Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays, 1-3 pm.
communication: Phone: 563-1252; e-mail,
scott_stewart@cbu.ca
Grading:
(1) Test 1: May 15, (2) Test 2: May 23, (3) Test 3: May 30
All assignments are of equal value.
Text and Handouts: Laurie Shrage & Scott Stewart, Draft copy of Philosophizing About Sex.
Please note:
(1) Although there is no grade given formally for class participation
and/or attendance, past experience has shown a high correlation between these
activities and good grades.
(2) Come to class prepared by having read the assigned reading for that
day. Always bring your printout(s) or laptop to class so we can refer to them
during class time.
(3) Make-up tests and late assignments will be given/accepted only under
special circumstances and with my prior knowledge. If you are unable to
write a test or make a deadline, you must at the very least leave me a voice or
e-mail message.
(4) You will be graded on your writing skills as well as on other
criteria.
(5) There is no supplementary exam for this course.
(6) CBU has regulations concerning “Forms of Academic Dishonesty”
including such things as plagiarism and cheating. You should make yourself aware
of these policies by reading the appropriate section(s) of the CBU calendar.
(7) Some students may find some of the material dealt with in this course
offensive. Look carefully over the course outline. If some of these topics are
bothersome for you, please consider another course.
This course will look exclusively or
almost exclusively at the philosophy sex, though it will also cover some
philosophical material on the nature of love if time permits. We will explore
issues such as how sex is to be defined, whether there is anything wrong with
sexual objectification, whether we can classify some sexual acts as perversions,
to what extent we should tolerate sexual practices different from our own, how
sex and marriage are related, both conceptually and in practice, how science has
studied sex, and whether we ought to control the expression of sexual material.
(TENTATIVE) OUTLINE
AND READINGS
DATE(S)
TOPIC
READINGS
May 7
Introduction
none
May 8
Defining sex
May 9 Sexual attraction "" "Chapter 2 slides" Frederich Elliston, "InDefense of Promistuity" (handout)
Promiscuity "slides" from UW-Rock County
May 14 Sexual Objectification
& Sexual Exploitation
May 15 9-11 a.m. TEST 1
May 16 Sexual
Perversion
May 21
Sex and Marriage
study of sex
May 23 9-11 a.m. TEST 2
May 28 Sex and the limits of
toleration
Office and hours: CC273; Tuesdays and Thursdays, 10-Noon; Wednesdays, 1:30-2:30
drop by, or set up an appointment.
Communication: Phone: 563-1252; e-mail: scott_stewart@cbu.ca
Grading: All assignments are worth an equal value.
(1) In class test: October 2 "TEST 1 STUDY QUESTIONS"
(2) In class test OR Essay: Nov 8 "ESSAY ASSIGNMENT" "Test 2 study questions"
(3) Final test: Dec. 14, 9-11 am in CC 261. Final Exam "Study Questions"
Text and Handouts: R.M. Stewart, Philosophical Perspectives on Sex and Love, Oxford University Press, 1995.
Please note:
(1) Although there is no grade given formally for class participation and/or attendance, past experience has shown a high correlation between these activities and good grades.
(2) Come to class prepared by having read the assigned reading for that day. Always bring your text-book and/or printout(s) to class so we can refer to them during class time.
(3) Make-up tests and late assignments will be given/accepted only under special circumstances and with my prior knowledge. If you are unable to write a test or make a deadline, you must at the very least leave me a voice or e-mail message.
(4) You will be graded on your writing skills as well as on other criteria.
(5) There is no supplementary exam for this course.
(6) CBU has regulations concerning Forms of Academic Dishonesty including such things as plagiarism and cheating. You should make yourself aware of these policies by reading the appropriate section(s) of the CBU calendar.
(7) Some students may find some of the material dealt with in this course offensive. Look carefully over the course outline. If some of these topics are bothersome for you, please consider another course.
Outline & Readings (Tentative)
ALL ARTICLES WHICH ARE NOT LINKED BELOW ARE IN YOUR TEXTBOOK!!
Date | Topic | Readings |
Sept 11
13, 18, 20
|
Introduction: Sexual Ethics
Sexual Norms & Ethics: Homosexuality
|
Pope Paul VI, "The Vatican Declaration" Leiser, 'Homosexuality and the Unnaturalness Arg. Ruse, Is Homosexuality Bad Sexuality? Stewart, "Same Sex Marriage" |
25, 27 |
Sexual Norms & Ethics: Prostitution | Shrage, Should feminists oppose
prostitution? Stewart, Moral criticism ... prostitution: Ericsson, " Charges against prostitution: An assessment " If that doesn't work, try "Ericsson, Prostitution" Ekberg, "Abolishing prostitution: The Swedish Solution" Additional Readings: Pateman, Defending Prostitution: Charges against Ericsson Satz, Markets in Womens
Sexual Labor
|
OCTOBER 2 | TEST 1 | |
4, 9, 11 | Sexual Desire | Nagel, "Sexual Perversion" Nozick, "Sexuality" Stewart, "Saying How You Feel" Saying How You Feel "Powerpoint" Stewart, "Constructing Perversions..." "Constructing Perversions Powerpoint" |
16, 18, 23 | Sexual Norms & Ethics: 'Fooling Around' | Hume, Of chastity and modesty Wasserstrom, Is Adultery Immoral? Elliston, In Defense of Promiscuity Stewart, "Polygamy..." Additional Readings: Drukerman, "Lust in Translation" Drukerman, "Marriage Industrial Complex" Perel, "Mating in Captivity"
Vannoy, Sex with love vs. Sex without love Rubin, Intimate Strangers Quine, The Primacy of Gods
Will in Christian Ethics Baier, Humes Account
Bertocci, The Human Venture in Sex, Love, and Marriage |
25, 30, Nov. 1 | Sexual Norms & Ethics: Pornography & Eroticism | Susie Bright, Introduction to Herotica 3 Serena Molloch, Serena Moloch, My Date With Marcie," Wicclair, "Wicclair, Feminism, Pornography, and Censorship" Additional Readings: Dyzenhaus, J.S. Mill and the Harm of
Pornography Gastil, The Moral Right of the
Majority to Restrict
Pornography
Langton, Speech Acts and Unspeakable Acts Langton, Whose Right? Jacobsen, Freedom and Speech Acts: A
Response to Langton MacKinnon, Pornography, Civil Rights, and Speech MacKinnon, Sexuality,
Pornography, and Method
Pateman, Sex and Power Vernon, J.S. Mill and
Pornography: Beyond the Harm Principle Scoccia, Can Liberals support a ban on violent Pornography?
|
Nov. 6 | TEST 2 OR ESSAY | |
8, 13, 15, 20 | Love | Plato, Aristophanes speech from the Symposium Plato, Socrates speech from the Symposium Singer, Appraisal and Bestowal Nozick, Loves Bond Stewart, "Breaking up is hard to do" Additional Readings: Santas, Platos Theory of Love in the Symposium Velleman, Love as Moral Emotion |
Nov, 22, 27, 29 | Friendship | Aristotle, from the Nicomachean Ethics Conlon, Why lovers cant be friends Additional Readings: Cocking & Kennett, Friendship and the Self Meyer, Rights Between Friends Sherman, Aristotle on Friendship and the Shared Life |
(All required readings are contained in the Course Pack.
"Additional readings" can be accessed on the course web page.)