Love and sexuality

by Robert Grimm

Love and sex provide two of the primary motives of human life; the need for intimate human contact and to propagate our species. Sex is a powerful, sometimes irrational urge or instinct, but as rational creatures our human understandings and expectations of love transcend mere sexuality.Our cultural tradition says that love ideally finds its fullest expression in marriage, it says that sex properly presupposes marriage, and that the goal or purpose of sex is to eventually conceive children. Sex also can be seen as a source of pleasure and emotional intimacy, or as a special way of communicating care and concern. These different views have profound consequences for what we take to be moral and immoral, or proper and perverse.There are essentially four sexual paradigms (or frameworks) for understanding sexual The reproductive model sees sex as the means toward the ultimate end of procreation; heterosexual intercourse is the ideal. The pleasure paradigm sees sexuality as enjoyable for its own sake; this involves sensuality and our psychological needs and desires. The economics paradigm defines sex as a matter of exchange; here sexual relationships are bound up with economic and social roles and commitments. In their communication model, sex is a special, nonverbal way of communicating care and concern, or perhaps less worthy (even malicious) emotions. The concept of love changes with time and culture. In ancient Greece, homoeroticism was an accepted expression of love, while marriages involved power, property, and the domestic taskof procreation. During the Middle Ages, love was ideally a spiritual or religious phenomenon; only in the 17th and 18th centuries did "romantic love" emerge. It is little recognized that marriages now tend to be more concerned with love than ever before.

Genres: Psychology

127 pages, Hardcover

First published May 1, 2003

Reviews

[Parker Jennings · Rating 5 out of 5]

Definitely brought me to some interesting questions and novel conclusions regarding love and sexuality. Biggest takeaway is that Love and Relationships are not safe, they are fraught with risk, and it is because of that that Love is able to exist. Without the danger, without the risk of betrayal, it is not Love.

We want love to be easy, to be free from risk and to serve ourselves in a neat and comfortable way. It is not so, that is not the truth. One develops the necessary heart to be vulnerable to their love, and when it is succesful, the treasure is gained.

[Lukasz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Niniejszego audiobooka znalazłem w katalogu Storytel. Bardzo ciekawa pozycja, podsumowująca stan nauk społecznych i filozofii na temat miłości i seksualności. Oba pojęcia dość obszernie są omówione. Z wielkim zainteresowaniem przesłuchałem całość. Podejście do tematu miłości i seksualność jest dość szerokie, omówione są różne aspekty miłości oraz seksualności. Ciekawostką dla mnie było to iż wiele orientacji seksualnych jest do obiektywnie i szczegółowo opisanych i przeanalizowanych.

[Mary Kay · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting draw on the great philosophers' views on love, marriage, and generic sexuality. Bottom line? It's all personal preference - like we didn't kniw that.

[Alex Lanious · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting, educational, thought provoking.