Kantian Ethics on Sexual Ethics

• Unlike animals we are unique in having 'will'
• Kant's main concern about sexuality is that it can reduce is to purely act on desires.
• Marriage prevents Kant's fear that sexuality is purely built on desires. In the context of marriage Kant believes a sexual relationship can be built on both will and desire.
• Kant would oppose pre-marital sex as it is not based on the mutual promise-making of marriage. He would be even more opposed to concepts such as one night stands and casual sex experiences as they are purely reducing humans to the appetitive desires of animals.
• Extra-marital sex for Kant would involve breaking the promises made in a marriage and promise breaking cannot be universalised.
• Kant opposes homosexuality because in his eyes it is purely based on desire and thus we are treating a person as a means to an end, not an end in of themselves. In addition homosexuality cannot be universalised as it would result in the human race dying out. Modern Kantians don't necessarily share this view as gay marriage would allow someone to be treated as an end in of themselves.
• Many neo-Kantians argue that marriage is not the only way to have sex without being pure desire. It may be possible if both parties have some sort of 'contract based' agreement that they can have premarital sex without using each other purely as a means to an end. The result of desire alone.
• Respect for persons is a useful feature of Kant's ethics as it ensures we do not mistreat people.
• Kantian ethics achieves the rare combination of giving clear rules without relying on religion.
• Kantian ethics is based on logic and rational principles. This is important in a topic such as this where emotion can cloud judgement.
• The principle of universal law seems to be irrelevant in sexual ethics. While Kant is right that the human race would die out if everyone was homosexual, he is wrong in that not everyone desires it. It it perfectly acceptable in our society as only about 1 in 10 people would want it anyway.
• Kant's optimism in marriage may be misplaced. 40% of marriages end in divorce and feminist writers such as Simone de Beauvoir argue that the institution of marriage enslaves women and takes away their freedom.
• Kants rationality is misplaced in this topic as sexual ethics should centre on emotions and passion.