College Seminar (101-7-20)

Topic

Philosophy of Sex, Gender, & Sexuality

Instructors

Lendell Chad Horne

Meeting Info

Kresge 3438 Philosophy Sem. Rm: Tues, Thurs 9:30AM - 10:50AM

Overview of class

To borrow a phrase from Aristotle: sex is said in many ways. The word "sex" can refer to the domain of the erotic, that is, to sexual desire and sexual activity. It can also refer to certain biological categories related to an animal's reproductive role, such as female, male, or intersex. Among humans, "sex," along with the nearby term "gender," can also refer to cultural or social categories like woman, man, or nonbinary. And there is also "sex" in the sense of sexual orientation, a set of categories describing an individual's typical pattern of sexual attraction, such as lesbian, gay, straight, or bisexual. Needless to say, things get complicated pretty quickly. In this seminar, we will read and discuss recent philosophical attempts to make sense of all this. The course will cover a wide range of topics, including: What is sexual desire? What (if anything) is sexual perversion? What is the best account of concepts like gender identity or sexual orientation? How (if at all) do those concepts relate to biological sex? What about the ethics and politics of sex? Is there anything wrong, morally speaking, with casual sex, or with the buying and selling of sex? Readings for this course will be drawn mostly from contemporary philosophical sources.

Learning Objectives

As a first-year seminar, one aim of this course is to help students develop core academic skills, including research and time management. Because this is a philosophy course, special attention will be paid to the careful reading and interpretation of texts as well as the reconstruction and critical evaluation of arguments.

Class Materials (Required)

All class materials will be available on Canvas at NO cost to the student.

Class Notes

Final Paper

Class Attributes

WCAS College Seminar

Enrollment Requirements

Enrollment Requirements: Weinberg First Year Seminars are only available to first-year students.
Add Consent: Department Consent Required
Drop Consent: Department Consent Required