Alan Soble

Readings in the Philosophy of Love

Eros, Agape and Philia

Pornography, Sex, and Feminism

More than 150 alphabetically arranged entries on topics, thinkers, religions, movements, and concepts locate sexuality in its humanistic and social contexts.

Sex from Plato to Paglia: M-Z

A Philosophical Encyclopedia

Sex from Plato to Paglia

Raja Halwani

Jacob M. Held

Natasha McKeever

With 7 new essays, the 8th edition of this best-selling text examines the nature, morality, and significance of contemporary sexual phenomena. Topics include love; desire; rape; masturbation; sex online; homosexual, asexual, queer, and transgender issues; polyamory; paraphilia; drugs and sex; objectification; BDSM; and sex and race.

Contemporary Readings

The Philosophy of Sex

Pornography, abortion, rape, sexual discrimination: one merely has to open the newspaper or turn on the television to be confronted with sexual issues. In Sexual Investigations, Alan Soble contributes to the discussion by examining the moral, political, and analytical dimensions of sexuality that form the foundation for these discussions. In Sexual Investigations, Soble takes a rigorous yet user-friendly look at a number of topics in the area of human sexuality: the nature of sexual activity, the ethics of sexual conduct, pornography, masturbation, sexual health, perversion, date rape, prostitution, contraception, reproduction, and both the beauty and the ugliness of the sexual body. What, Soble asks, defines healthy sexuality? How firm is the distinction between rape and consensual sex? How and when are sexually explicit films and photographs degrading to women? This sweeping examination of the philosophical, ethical, and political issues surrounding human sexuality is as learned and thoughtful as it is entertaining.

Sexual Investigations

Sarah Hoffman

With twenty-five essays, fourteen of which are new to this edition, this best-selling volume examines the nature, morality, and social meanings of contemporary sexual phenomena. Topics include sexual desire, masturbation, sex on the Internet, homosexuality, transgender and transsexual issues, rape, and promiscuity. New chapters discuss polyamory, transgender issues, queer issues, paraphilia, drugs and sex, objectification, BDSM, cybersex, and sex and race. Updated and new discussion questions offer students starting points for debate in both the classroom and the bedroom.

In this unabashed defense of pornography from a utilitarian-hedonist perspective, philosopher Alan Soble strongly rebuts both feminist and conservative critics. Soble demonstrates that neither conservative nor feminist critics of pornography show much acquaintance with the genre they criticize. This suggests that purely political motives underlie their critiques instead of reasoned, objective arguments based on thorough empirical research. Soble also faults critics of pornography for their failure of empathy: they refuse to see pornographic images from the various perspectives of their viewers. In approaching these images literally, detractors promulgate the worst possible interpretation of pornography. Further, they do not do justice to the social and psychological research about pornography and its purported harms. Conservatives and feminists manufacture their case against pornography and its consumers based on oversimplified interpretations of the images and a poor understanding of scientific studies. This sardonic and well-reasoned critique of feminist and conservative moral outrage over pornography is sure to be controversial.

The philosophy of loveFor centuries, popular writers and respected scholars have written about and analyzed the phenomenon of love without exhausting its potential for contemporary debate. By representing the three major traditions in the philosophy of love--Platonic eros, Christian agape, and Aristotelian philia--editor Alan Soble has not only examined the intellectual problem of what "love" is, but has designed a dialogue among the three traditions in genuine philosophical style. "Eros is acquisitive, egocentric or even selfish; agape is a giving love. Eros is an unconstant, unfaithful love, while agape is unwavering and continues to give despite ingratitude. Eros is a love that responds to the merit or value of its object; while agape creates value in its object as a result of loving it... Finally, eros is an ascending love, the human's route to God; agape is a descending love, GodÆs route to humans... Philia is caught between eros and agape."--From the Introduction to Eros, Agape and Philia ISSUES EXPLORED: --What is the state of love today as seen through the eyes of Plato, Aristotle, and Paul? --How do relations between the sexes illustrate the difficulties of love? --What are the nature and effects of exclusivity, reciprocity, and constancy? --What are the conceptual and psychological ties between sex and love? --Does it make any sense to think of love in moral terms?

Now in its third edition, this fascinating book illustrates how a philosophical approach to sexuality can shed light on various sexual phenomena, such as pornography, prostitution, sadomasochism, homosexuality, masturbation, sexual perversion, and adultery. A definitive work on a provocative topic.

Society for the Philosophy of Sex and Love

This collection joins together sixty essays on the philosophy of love and sex. Each was presented at a meeting of The Society for the Philosophy of Sex and Love held between 1977 and 1992 and later revised for this edition. Topics addressed include ethical and political issues (AIDS, abortion, homosexual rights, and pornography), conceptual matters (the nature, essence, or definition of love, friendship, sexual desire, and perversion); the study of classical and historical figures (Plato, Aristotle, Spinoza, Kant, and Kierkegaard); and issues in feminist theory (sexual objectification, the social construction of female sexuality, reproductive and marital arrangements). Authors include Jerome Shaffer, Sandra Harding, Michael Ruse, Richard Mohr, Russell Vannoy, Claudia Card, M.C. Dillon, Gene Fendt, Steven Emmanuel, T.F. Morris, Timo Airaksinen, and Sylvia Walsh. The editor, who is the author of Pornography (1986), The Structure of Love (1990), and Sexual Investigations (1996), has also contributed six pieces and an Introduction.

Studies of the Society for the Philosophy of Sex and Love, 1977-1992

Sex, Love, and Friendship

Nicholas P. Power

Thirty contemporary essays that explore philosophically, conceptually, and theologically the nature, social meanings, and morality of contemporary sexual phenomena. From publisher description.

Alan Soble

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