Sex II
Should we be more involved emotionally with our significant others and not worry about sex at all?
What is the general opinion as it relates to philosophy?
Is mankind’s obsession with sex something that needs to be overcome?
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soul magazine-anthems 
seneca said,
March 23, 2007 at 7:37 pm
This is something that has been bothering me for some time now. I’ve always considered sex to be something that purely like an opiant. I am aware of the f act that that’s how you have children, but you could do that without sex anyways. But if you really think about it it’s a useless act, it lasts for while and then ends and it can be addictive. How is it different then getting injections of morphine or heroin? I know that technically one is much more powerful, but they are both addictive and they both have little positive in them.
seneca said,
March 23, 2007 at 7:42 pm
But sex has something else that morphine doesn’t, it corrupts the mind and makes it go into the wrong direction.
jaoman said,
March 23, 2007 at 7:45 pm
You know what’s even more addictive? Air! Everything in life, life itself, comprises of chemical reactions and interactions. These need replenishment in the course of life; else the body goes out of tune. When that happens, sickness and death are invited. Drugs achieve distinction only in their insistence of rewiring the body to an inconvenient format.
Seneca wrote:
But sex has something else that morphine doesn’t, it corrupts the mind and makes it go into the wrong direction.
I fear I’ve missed the point. What is it about sex that you find so terrible an influence? It seems to me to be a pretty spectacular phenomenon when two or more people can enjoy each other’s physicality
seneca said,
March 23, 2007 at 7:50 pm
jaoman wrote:
You know what’s even more addictive? Air!
I was expecting something better than this.
You need air to live. You don’t need sex to live or even have children.
jaoman wrote:
I fear I’ve missed the point. What is it about sex that you find so terrible an influence?
I guess it’s a matter of personal opinion, but I find it has no place in the big picture of how fulfilling it is in a person’s life. It’s not necessarily a horrible influence if really well executed with restraint, but it can IMO corrupt the mind because it is so addictive.
I’m not saying I stand against sex, but I wonder what other people think about sex’s importance when you dismantle your day to day reality.
Yahya2 said,
March 23, 2007 at 7:51 pm
Seneca wrote:
It’s not necessarily a horrible influence if really well executed with restraint, but it can IMO corrupt the mind because it is so addictive.
If addictiveness, alone, is the source of corruption, then why did you make this statement earlier?
Seneca wrote:
But sex has something else that morphine doesn’t, it corrupts the mind and makes it go into the wrong direction.
kill your tv said,
March 23, 2007 at 7:53 pm
I don’t think its possible to say that sex corrupts the mind, with out proving it. Sex in its self is pure. The American ideas towards sex is what corrupts it. There are far fewer cases of molestation and other sexual deviations in Europe where there is a more open view of sex, than in America. So it is the attitudes towards sex that corrupt it not the act of sex itself.
seneca said,
March 23, 2007 at 7:53 pm
That’s a great point Kill your TV. Thanks for sharing.
My main point of corruption of the mind sprang from the inherent uselessness of sex and that wasting effort in something that only makes you feel good and builds nothing to bond two people, IMO.
the crooner said,
March 23, 2007 at 7:55 pm
Sex is not inherently useless. It is the natural way for most people to evolve. Evolve, self improve, grow up, act in a more mature manner. Whatever word or expression you fancy .
The act of sex evokes basic changes in the body that also affect the mind. These changes are long lasting, not just the ephemeral changes during the sex act itself.
the boss said,
March 23, 2007 at 7:56 pm
If sex is used for the purpose of building a stronger bond then it is very effective at doing so. But sex is also used for different reasons( pleasure or domination) which that is not the goal, so it is not an effect.
stephane sednaoui said,
March 23, 2007 at 7:57 pm
Seneca wrote:
You don’t need sex to live.
Speak for yourself.
the boss said,
March 23, 2007 at 7:58 pm
now don’t embarass me, mr sednaoui…
danielle said,
March 23, 2007 at 8:01 pm
In the future, if there is way to eliminate the need for sleep, wouldn’t it make sense to do so? It saves so much time! Sleeping is a lazy obsession that we need to overcome, right?
No.
And give me my intercourse back.
seneca said,
March 23, 2007 at 8:02 pm
You cannot overcome sleep. It’s an essential biological activity. Essential meaning without it it’s impossible to live. Last I checked plenty of people live without sex. Have you seen those Indian people are celibate for their entire lives?
This debate has turned too practical in a day to day sense, where as I’m looking for a more idealistic and philosophical theme.
stephane sednaoui said,
March 23, 2007 at 8:03 pm
oh, poor baby… you want to discuss idealistic and philosophical themes with kylie and dannii minogue??? and with stephane sednaoui…
the boss said,
March 23, 2007 at 8:07 pm
people are constantly ignoring your posts, mr sednaoui. doesnt that make you wonder whether you actually have a role in these debates?
the boss said,
March 23, 2007 at 8:09 pm
seneca,
Where did you get the idea that sex is addictive? Sex addicts were born with an addictive tendency. The fact that sex ended up being the focus of their addiction does not mean that sex itself is somehow addictive. They just as easily could have become addicted to morphine or bungee-jumping.
As for its “uselessness”, aside from being the single most pleasurable experience two(or more ) people can share together(causing pleasure is good as far as ethics go), it prolongs the life span and is necessary for good mental health.
Most importantly, it allows two loving people to reach a greater level of intimacy than is possible otherwise.
sensabile said,
March 23, 2007 at 8:10 pm
Seneca wrote:
You cannot overcome sleep. It’s an essential biological activity. Essential meaning without it it’s impossible to live. Last I checked plenty of people live without sex. Have you seen those Indian people are celibate(sp?) for their entire lives?
Wouldn’t it be wonderful if you could provide some studies to back-up that assertion. The majority of research into long-term sleep deprivation has (very questionably) shown there to be detrimental effects (e.g. the Peter Tripp and Randy Gardner case studies); yet, the only cases, that I am aware of, that suggest fatal consequences used animals and in those studies it is far more likely that the stress killed them and not the sleep deprivation. Besides, there is research that supports Horne’s idea that we have “micro sleep” during the day, but this is something different to the conventional idea of “sleep”.
In any case, simply because sex isn’t necessary for humans to live is no reason to assert that it is “useless”. Hammers aren’t necessary for humans to live, but they damn well aren’t useless. Furthermore, your assertion that it “corrupts the mind” is entirely unfounded — as is the majority of your assertions.
sensabile said,
March 23, 2007 at 8:11 pm
seneca wrote:
This debate has turned too practical in a day to day sense, where as I’m looking for a more idealistic and philosophical theme.
That sir, is your mistake.
tobias said,
March 23, 2007 at 8:11 pm
Why do you see sex as a means to an end and not an end itself? Sex seems to be for us humans an experience of prime importance. Prostitution is not for nothing called the oldest profession in the world. Some of the earliest artifacts found are crude sex toys. Sex has been linked to religious experiences and prostitution and the temple went hand in hand.
Even Christ as God incarnate came into the world through the ‘immaculate conception’, meaning pregnancy without sex. Here the sexual act is negated and that negation confirms the prime importance of the baby born. We find sexual symbolism in the arts, in the dance and even though obscurely hidden in philosophy. for instance in the ‘dialectic’ between form (male) and matter (female). It is not for nothing called ‘union’, unification. This unification is exactly what thinking itself accomplishes.
On a more practical note, sex increases self confidence and forms a bond between the partners which is stronger than friendship. Ever payed attention to what you tell your partner during sex?
Sex runs like a thread through our thoughts, our dreams, our religion and our institutions. It in fact involves in every topic philosophy concerns itself with. There is hardly an activity worthy of more thought and ofcourse more practice. It doesn’t corrupt the mind, it is the mind. The ages in whcih we develop our subjectivity and identity are the same as the ages in whcih we become sexually active, coincidence?
If there is a limit to our experience or a fundamental finity, a unity or an absolute, it seems to me to be in the sexual act.
anna chadwick said,
March 23, 2007 at 8:12 pm
“Sex addicts were born with an addictive tendency. ”
I don’t agree with this. Doctors who don’t have a clue say stuff like this to hide their ignorance.
IMHO, sexual addiction is caused by the people being physically imbalanced. They trained their body to want sex. It is like a drug in that if they want to stop, their body always wants to go back to the place that sex or the drugs take them.
If they never overdid the sex in the first place, IMHO they would not have become sex addicts.
I will agree that there are some people who might be born unbalanced and be sex addicts. There is always the .1% that stand out from the crowd.
anna chadwick said,
March 23, 2007 at 8:12 pm
“Sex …….. It doesn’t corrupt the mind, it is the mind.”
I don’t agree with this at all.
Sex will damage the mind if a person engages in too much or abusive sexual activity.
paul said,
March 23, 2007 at 8:13 pm
If it’s actually necessary to someone’s mental health, the person has a problematic dependence. I suspect most people who say that really just mean that they like it and would be sad to not have any, though, not that they would actually deteriorate and face a nervous breakdown or become suicidal without it.
Anyhow, added another poll option so I could vote. (Procreation isn’t necessary, so I couldn’t vote for that option.)
tobias said,
March 23, 2007 at 8:13 pm
You don’t think being depraved of sex causes emotional problems? I think it causes quite some emotional strain, but than, I could be a sex addict.
the crooner said,
March 23, 2007 at 8:16 pm
depraved…maaan, you guys really take yourselves seriously…
wax said,
March 23, 2007 at 8:16 pm
It’s a worthless act and it corrupts the mind. Just to be an outlier.
sensabile said,
March 23, 2007 at 8:20 pm
Tobias wrote:
Sex runs like a thread through our thoughts, our dreams, our religion and our institutions. It in fact involves in every topic philosophy concerns itself with. There is hardly an activity worthy of more thought and ofcourse more practice. It doesn’t corrupt the mind, it is the mind. The ages in whcih we develop our subjectivity and identity are the same as the ages in whcih we become sexually active, coincidence?
I cannot see how a theotrical “coincidence” is in any way justification for the assertions that sex is involved in every topic of philosophy or that sex “is the mind” (if that does in fact mean anything). Please elaborate on how sex is involved in every topic of philosophy; and explain what it is you mean when you say “it is the mind”.
In any case it doesn’t follow. The implicit assumption is that something cannot corrupt itself and thus because sex is mind, it cannot corrupt the mind. That in no way means that the act of sex is not a corruptive force and that these forces act on the mind.
seneca said,
March 23, 2007 at 8:21 pm
I think we are overlooking something important. Sex’s real purpose is not to keep our minds healthy nor to give pleasure. Sex is there for procreation. The pleasure is nature’s way of making it desirable to mate, because if it didn’t feel good we wouldn’t do it. I would like to see an argument against this.
It’s an ancient mechanism that is pretty much useless when you consider that you don’t really need to have as many off springs as possible to keep the population numbers as high as possible for the species to survive.
Let’s focus on the pragmatic, and philosophical side of this topic without all the “I like sex it makes me feel good”.
soniarott said,
March 23, 2007 at 8:22 pm
Well if you want to look at things philosophically, let us question your prime assumption. You suggest sex is there for procreation. Although that may be one purpose, how come you neglect the calming effect it has upon your body? It is also pleasurable, and perhaps one of the best means to relieving stress. Thus, it contributes not only to mental, but physical well-being. Further, it also helps solidify, or even form, meaningful relationships between people. In order for a society to cooperate meaningfully, you need solid relationships. Sex therefore helps maintain societies balance, in addition to giving people pleasure and a desire to procreate. What is wrong with that?
sensabile said,
March 23, 2007 at 8:22 pm
Seneca wrote:
I think we are overlooking something important. Sex’s real purpose is not to keep our minds healthy nor to give pleasure. Sex is there for procreation. The pleasure is nature’s way of making it desirable to mate, because if it didn’t feel good we wouldn’t do it. I would like to see an argument against this.
What’s all this nonsense about “real purpose”? It reminds me of “absolute truth” and “real knowledge”. Why does the purpose of reproduction have a special status above pleasure? Did Jesus tell you this? Because I’ve to say, Jesus wouldn’t have a clue, he thinks they just appear
the boss said,
March 23, 2007 at 8:23 pm
You know, I don’t actually think that humans have an obsession with sex. We certainly want it and at times crave sex. It feels good and some try really hard to get it. But, it does not impede the life of the average human. It’s just something that’s on the side to alleviate stress and make us feel good. Like a nice, refreshing cup of cocoa.
I can imagine that trying to eradicate something so instinctive and natural will only cause chaos.
grabber said,
March 23, 2007 at 8:24 pm
Please elaborate on how sex is involved in every topic of philosophy; and explain what it is you mean when you say “it is the mind”.
Your brain is activated by sex. Your brain works at some basic level all the time. Sex makes it stronger. There is a direct connection between your sexual organs and your brain.
You can improve your brain without sex. You must do things that simulate sexual moves. Tai Chi simulates the in and out thrusting of the pelvis. Tai Chi, because it is not actual sex, prevents the loss of energy associated with the sexual act. That is one reason why it provides long life to the people who practice it.
happeh said,
March 23, 2007 at 8:25 pm
Seneca,
You are wrong. If sex was only for procreation, then human’s would still have a sex cycle where the woman goes in heat for a short time every once in awhile. What purpose sexually does sex anytime have? Animals get along just fine with having sexual seasons. No population problems there.
The real purpose of sex is to make you evolve, self improve, mature. The procreation function was hijacked and modified to accomplish this.
Didn’t you ever wonder what the difference between animals and people are? It is sex. Animals only have sex once in awhile. People have sex all the time. That sexual energy can be shunted to the brain all the time to make it work better so that an animal, a gorilla or whatever you believe we used to be, can think like a human being.
the boss said,
March 23, 2007 at 8:25 pm
Happeh,
Human women do have sexual cycles. Perhaps you’ve heard of a woman’s “period.” Just because we may enjoy sex at any time does not mean that there are not optimum times to concieve children.
paul said,
March 23, 2007 at 8:27 pm
Tobias wrote:
You don’t think being depraved of sex causes emotional problems? I think it causes quite some emotional strain, but than, I could be a sex addict.
No, I don’t think it does. I haven’t been feeling any strain after a quarter century without any. Though I suppose to judge if something is addictive you have to try it first.
Seneca wrote:
Sex’s real purpose is not to keep our minds healthy nor to give pleasure. Sex is there for procreation.
Only if you’re religious. Evolution has made sex pleasurable such that animals seek it for pleasure, and the complicated behavior has persisted because it just so happens to result in procreation as well. It’s really the pleasure that’s being selected for due to its common result… not the result itself being selected, as there’s no mechanism to prevent non-reproductive sex from producing pleasure (and of course homosexual/bisexual behavior of species is a prime example where the activity survives in forms that don’t lead to procreation).
softtarget wrote:
As for the comment:
“That sexual energy can be shunted to the brain all the time to make it work better so that an animal, a gorilla or whatever you believe we used to be, can think like a human being.”
I’m not sure what you’re talking about.
He’s proposing an alternative theory of punctuated equilibrium in which a bunch of gorillas got togeather for a big orgy and emerged human. Of course this theory will be appearing in your favorite science journal next week.
recidiva said,
March 23, 2007 at 8:27 pm
Okay, think of it this way:
Proponents of theoretical “light, good, purity” consider the body has a defiling influence, mostly because it distracts from the goal of many endeavors of “purity” which involve the spiritual detachment from desires. Emotions are clouding of the mind, sensation is clouding of the body. So those who want to live on only one side of the spectrum, pure light, have a point when they believe that focusing on the carnal can distract from higher pursuits, or can create “karma” or attachment, which bind you to the physical existence.
Proponents of theoretical “darkness, corruption, defilement”, see the body as a vessel to be filled, altered. A tool that is to be exalted for pleasure or pain as method, but those things are not the actual goal. First and foremost control over body is an expression of personal power, either over others or over one’s own will. Objectifying a body and minimizing the being inside it allow pathways to realities that can’t be explored when you respect the integrity of the creation as it is or the being inside it. Then it is a playground to be deconstructed and rearranged to suit you. It proves you can do something, create an effect, in essence become the creator. It is the pathway to test your willingness to enact your will and choice, and not bow to some theoretical design, but get down and dirty and real in a defiant way to prove you have and can gather more personal power, vision and knowledge through this venue.
The argument that you don’t need sex to make children is silly. That’s a new thing scientifically and doesn’t account for a long track record of biology versus test tubes and technology. The easiest and most prolific way to have children will still always be straight sex.
Now comes the issue of balance. If you want to choose “a middle path” that accepts the existence of light and shadow and welcomes both in your life, but not to the extremes that is seen in many people pursuing an ideal, sex is something that is a part of our life in a real and concrete way. Touching is vital to the development of the body, mind and healthy social interaction. Pleasure in your own body is a joy in the same way that the flight of ideas that helps the mind soar or the expansion of the soul that brings you further connected to the reaches of all that is. Pain of the body is an opportunity to develop deeper understanding of how this machine works and further chances to connect through compassion to those around you who might share the same burden. Sex is the blending of balance, pleasure, pain, giving, taking, passion and love, possession and objectification. It is a place where expressions of who you are can be explored and you touch realities where thought disappears because these realms when explored obliterate thought and are simply what they are. It is the place where like dance, body mind and soul can express themselves. These realms are the antithesis of thought, it is action. Through the bearing of children and parenting, you also find extensions of yourself that connect you deeper and farther and in ways you did not expect and could never explain unless you go there. Procreation can also give you little toys to twist to your will.
So is it evil? Yes.
Is it good? Yes.
Is it balance? Yes.
Just like everything else, you choose what is good and evil, good or bad, except that you’re always wrong, and you’re always right.