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Just Married: Same-Sex Couples, Monogamy, and the Future of Marriage
The case for marriage equality and monogamy in a democratic society
The institution of marriage stands at a critical juncture. As gay marriage equality gains acceptance in law and public opinion, questions abound regarding marriage's future. Will same-sex marriage lead to more radical marriage reform? Should it? Antonin Scalia and many others on the right warn of a slippery slope from same-sex marriage toward polygamy, adult incest, and the dissolution of marriage as we know it. Equally, many academics, activists, and intellectuals on the left contend that there is no place for monogamous marriage as a special status defined by law. Just Married demonstrates that both sides are wrong: the same principles of democratic justice that demand marriage equality for same-sex couples also lend support to monogamous marriage.
Stephen Macedo displays the groundlessness of arguments against same-sex marriage and defends marriage as a public institution against those who would eliminate its special status or supplant it with private arrangements. Arguing that monogamy reflects and cultivates our most basic democratic values, Macedo opposes the legal recognition of polygamy, but agrees with progressives that public policies should do more to support nontraditional caring and caregiving relationships. Throughout, Macedo explores the meaning of contemporary marriage and the reasons for its fragility and its enduring significance. His defense of reformed marriage against slippery slope alarmists on the right, and radical critics of marriage on the left, vindicates the justice and common sense of the emerging consensus.
Casting new light on today's debates over the future of marriage, Just Married lays the groundwork for a stronger institution.
The institution of marriage stands at a critical juncture. As gay marriage equality gains acceptance in law and public opinion, questions abound regarding marriage's future. Will same-sex marriage lead to more radical marriage reform? Should it? Antonin Scalia and many others on the right warn of a slippery slope from same-sex marriage toward polygamy, adult incest, and the dissolution of marriage as we know it. Equally, many academics, activists, and intellectuals on the left contend that there is no place for monogamous marriage as a special status defined by law. Just Married demonstrates that both sides are wrong: the same principles of democratic justice that demand marriage equality for same-sex couples also lend support to monogamous marriage.
Stephen Macedo displays the groundlessness of arguments against same-sex marriage and defends marriage as a public institution against those who would eliminate its special status or supplant it with private arrangements. Arguing that monogamy reflects and cultivates our most basic democratic values, Macedo opposes the legal recognition of polygamy, but agrees with progressives that public policies should do more to support nontraditional caring and caregiving relationships. Throughout, Macedo explores the meaning of contemporary marriage and the reasons for its fragility and its enduring significance. His defense of reformed marriage against slippery slope alarmists on the right, and radical critics of marriage on the left, vindicates the justice and common sense of the emerging consensus.
Casting new light on today's debates over the future of marriage, Just Married lays the groundwork for a stronger institution.
- GenresNonfiction
320 pages, Hardcover
First published June 9, 2015
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
September 25, 2017
In contrast to right-wingers who argue as though they have never met a gay person, and leftists who argue as though they've never lived in society, Stephen Macedo offers a liberal defense of same-sex marriage.
His book is split into three parts: the first defends same-sex marriage, the second defends the institution of marriage from libertarians and liberals who would have the state remove itself from issues of marriage, and the third defends the state privileging monogamy over polygamy. Even though a lot of the book is compelling, there's little original work here. Most of the arguments have already been made by people like Jonathan Rauch, Andrew Sullivan, John Corvino, etc., so if you're already familiar with their work you won't get much from this book.
The most interesting argument in the book is the one in part 3 where Macedo argues that even though we might want to recognize polyamory or polygamy, we have reasons to suppose that what will actually occur most often is the practice of polygyny (one husband with multiple wives) that is associated with multiple potential problems. For example, we can expect the economically well-off men to have multiple wives, and even if only 10% of these men have 3 wives each, then 20% of men will be left without wives, and we have evidence that for every 0.01 shift in the sex-ratio, there a 3% increase in societal violence. This gives you a nice glimpse of the sort of stance he takes- cautious, but reasonable. In his words:
"The costs of transitioning to a new model for committed relationships (of the sort proposed by Brake or Metz) could be enormous, and the payoffs are speculative. Theorists and social critics play a salutary role in proposing alternatives, but radical reform should not be imposed in a top-down manner in the absence of clear injustices."
Overall, Macedo uses multiple sources, empirical data, legal information and case studies from multiple countries, and tight arguments. If this is your first look at these issues, you will probably find it comprehensive and well-argued.
His book is split into three parts: the first defends same-sex marriage, the second defends the institution of marriage from libertarians and liberals who would have the state remove itself from issues of marriage, and the third defends the state privileging monogamy over polygamy. Even though a lot of the book is compelling, there's little original work here. Most of the arguments have already been made by people like Jonathan Rauch, Andrew Sullivan, John Corvino, etc., so if you're already familiar with their work you won't get much from this book.
The most interesting argument in the book is the one in part 3 where Macedo argues that even though we might want to recognize polyamory or polygamy, we have reasons to suppose that what will actually occur most often is the practice of polygyny (one husband with multiple wives) that is associated with multiple potential problems. For example, we can expect the economically well-off men to have multiple wives, and even if only 10% of these men have 3 wives each, then 20% of men will be left without wives, and we have evidence that for every 0.01 shift in the sex-ratio, there a 3% increase in societal violence. This gives you a nice glimpse of the sort of stance he takes- cautious, but reasonable. In his words:
"The costs of transitioning to a new model for committed relationships (of the sort proposed by Brake or Metz) could be enormous, and the payoffs are speculative. Theorists and social critics play a salutary role in proposing alternatives, but radical reform should not be imposed in a top-down manner in the absence of clear injustices."
Overall, Macedo uses multiple sources, empirical data, legal information and case studies from multiple countries, and tight arguments. If this is your first look at these issues, you will probably find it comprehensive and well-argued.
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December 28, 2015My review will be published in a forthcoming issue of the Christian Century magazine.
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April 15, 2015Review forthcoming in Library Journal.
Shelved as 'did-not-finish'
October 25, 2017I don't feel like I can (or should) rate this book yet because I haven't finished it yet. It's for my philosophy of law class and we skipped a few of the chapters to fit the majority of the book into our schedule. I'll definitely be finishing it when I'm not so bogged down with work. But for now, I'll say that what I read is well-argued and clear. Macedo even manages to drop in a bit of humor from time to time.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews