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Sexual Morality and Social Context

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Sexual Morality “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 …show more content…

Others would argue that this type morality system threatens greater social good. By simply allowing, for lack of a better word, “meaningless sex” to be prevalent in society, by allowing sexual activity to be used as an interpersonal form of gratification. This is seen as a boundary for which most philosophers and I would imagine many parents would deem irresponsible and immoral. A Fifteen year old should not be influenced to see sexual activity as simple form gratification. The consequences and emotional responsibility may indeed be too much to handle. Rodger Scruton takes a much more tradition outlook on sexual morality. He places all his moral emphasis on the relationship involved in the act. A mutually supportive relationship is key to romantic affection. It builds an impression of irredeemable importance, which adds to the overall being of those involved. For this reason sex must always carry a moral quality. He defines his view of sexual morality as: Sex is based completely on the relationship entangled in the act. The relationship is important and it involves the mind just as much as the body. Scruton uses Aristotle’s virtue ethics to show how sexual morality is dependent on character. Following Aristotle’s virtue ethics which “demands that sexual desire lay within the scope of temperance”(Scruton), self-control must always be in check. That is why Scruton states that sexual relationships are extremely

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