KANISA GEORGE
The Greeks did it. The Romans did it. And now, 21st-century man is following suit. It's a lifestyle choice that defies social mores, yet others hold that causal sex perfectly defines a progressive-thinking society.
The dawn of the new millennium birthed radical views on sexuality and challenged widely accepted concepts of ethics and morality. Feminist thought provoked and reimagined a woman's place in society and a woman's relationship and interaction with sex.
Today, questions have been widely canvassed on the utility of sex, and now with the rise of casual sex, it appears ethical perspectives on sex are being further undermined. This brings to mind several questions on the social construct of sex: what caused the shift in normative principles surrounding sex, and more fundamentally, what is the purpose of sex?
In his provocative essay titled "What is sex for," researcher David Halperin considered the latter. He found that when we think about sex, there must be a why and this is directly linked to human beings being notoriously curious.
Why then do we engage in casual sex?
In an attempt to curb self-indulgence, stoics managed to fit sex into a scheme of meaning; indulging in the pleasure of sex was alright, as long as it was for the purposes of making babies. There is no dispute that we have moved away over yonder from this point, but it does force one to question the value we now place on sex and why we need to keep things casual?
In an article titled "Consent was never enough," writer David French discussed the rise of casual hook-ups and the potential dangers of these arrangements. He examined modern sexual morality built around consent and the idea that all things are permissible so long as consenting adults enthusiastically participate.
Foster wrote that young persons were engaging in sexual encounters they didn't want for reasons they disagreed with. This, the article continued, was heightened by pornography which made extreme sexual acts mainstream and the proliferation of dating apps that impress upon us that new options are around every corner.
The Greek philosopher, Aristotle, puts an exciting spin on the "why" surrounding sex. He believes that to be loved is preferable to intercourse, according to the nature of erotic desire. And as such erotic desire becomes more of a desire for love than for intercourse. For Aristotle, love is the telos of erotic desire. It is not love that aims at sex as its goal, but it is sex that aims at love. The real reason we have sex is not that we want to have sex but because we want to love and be loved.
This seems far removed from modern-day views on sex, which, if I'm honest, hinges significantly on enjoyment. Enjoyment, quite frankly, might have a lot to do with it, and while the "why" surrounding causal sex is an exhaustive list, if I were to take a wild guess, pleasure might be at the top. Consensual sex outside of a romantic relationship or marriage without any attachment or expectation of commitment or exclusivit
