Luke Brunning

Even with the current rise in awareness of sexual and intimate diversity, monogamous relationships remain the cultural norm. Most people aspire to it, and the state encourages it, providing legal and financial benefits to married couples; however, statistics show adultery is commonplace, marriage rates are falling, and divorce figures are rising. This entry in the Big Idea series traces the evolution and normalization of the monogamous ideal--questioning whether it is "natural" or not--and surveys the spectrum of alternative relationship models that people are seeking out in a world of internet dating and birth control. It explores the emotional and psychological facets of ethical polyamorous relationships; questions whether these relationships bene t men disproportionately and whether they are compatible with raising children; and assesses the likelihood that diverse forms of multipartner marriages and large friendship networks will become the norm in the future. With over 150 color images and incisive, engaging, and authoritative text, Does Monogamy Work? examines society's attachment to monogamy, evaluates its bene ts and limitations, and asses the merits of polyamorous relationship models in our modern world.

The Big Idea Series

Does Monogamy Work?

Natasha McKeever

Intimacy can be joyous, but also confusing and socially constrained. This book reveals how philosophy can deepen our understanding of how we date, fall in love, have sex, and form relationships. Brunning and McKeever explore some of today’s significant questions around love and relationships, with a focus on underexplored topics and contemporary research. Should we stop talking in terms of sexual orientations? What are the responsibilities of dating app companies? Could flirting be a virtue? Might a drug produce authentic love? Must we take responsibility for who we find attractive? When is consensual sex bad? Should governments ban sex robots? Is relationship anarchy the future of intimacy? Engagingly written, and rich with real-world examples, The Philosophy of Love, Sex, and Relationships is a crucial resource for students, researchers, and anyone who wants to join the growing conversation around the philosophy of intimacy.

The Philosophy of Love, Sex, and Relationships

King's College London. Department of Philosophy

This thesis examines our relatedness to roles. Section one presents aspects of Christine Korsgaard's recent work as a loose theory of roles. To summarise: Roles are normatively structured forms that we have to identify with to render them part of ourselves. Identification doesn't require reflection about roles. We think about them if we are tempted to violate their norms. Finally, the fact that we have many roles generates an ethical demand to integrate them. The rest of section one argues that Korsgaard's conception of identification is not sufficient to account for the complexities of our relatedness to roles. Section two develops a richer account of role-relatedness by considering Erving Goffman's notion of "attachment" to a role. I argue that attachment is normative; that how we comport ourselves to a role is open to critique. Then I argue that this normativity is itself a constituent part of the role in question. It is internal to a role, and not accounted for by a general interpretation of a generic form of relatedness that might hold between a person and many roles. I also consider whether attachment has cognitive and affective aspects, and defend my view against alternatives. Section three considers reflective role-attachment. I argue, contra Korsgaard, that we think about roles in many contexts and, significantly, such thought can be problematic. Firstly, reflection can be self-defeating if it is a normative aspect of the role in question that one refrains from reflecting about it. Secondly, reflection on a role might reify it. Various kinds of reification are considered. They are ethically problematic because reification can precipitate alienation which, I argue, impedes on a flourishing life. The final section draws upon earlier conclusions to argue that Korsgaard is wrong to suggest we need to integrate our roles. Integration might generate alienation.

Luke Brunning

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