Philosophical Perspectives on Sex and Love

Reflecting the trend over the last twenty years to examine more thoroughly the nature of love and sexuality within a philosophical context, this eclectic anthology presents numerous perspectives on sexual roles and norms, eroticism, pornography, feminism, prostitution, perversion, friendship, and familial love. Philosophical Perspectives on Sex and Love is the most up-to-date appraisal of these most fundamental and timeless of human attributes, featuring the work of thinkers from antiquity and the Middle Ages as well as the modern era. On the subject of erotic love, Stewart offers insight from Plato's Symposium, as well as Solomon's more contemporary "The Virtue of (Erotic) Love". There are also reflections on "Sexual Perversion" from Nagel, and the editor himself explores "Moral Criticisms and the Social Meaning of Prostitution." From Graybosch we have "Parents, Children, and Friends", and David Hume opens a window onto the ethics of sexuality through his "Of Chastity and Modesty." Care has been taken to present different positions on the most controversial issues, and the vast majority of selections are offered in their entirety. Invaluable for courses in social philosophy, sexuality, social ethics, and feminism, no other volume can give students a more comprehensive discussion of love's countless dimensions.