2003.001 Sexual Ethics and Criminal Law, Lester ... - Francis Bennion
2003.001 Sexual Ethics and Criminal Law, Lester ... - Francis Bennion
2003.001 Sexual Ethics and Criminal Law, Lester ... - Francis Bennion
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natures, abortion <strong>and</strong> pornography. Recommended for all with an<br />
sexual<br />
in sexual ethics.'<br />
interest<br />
critics of libertarianism, like Professor Roger Scruton,<br />
`Conservative<br />
equate libertarianism with libertinism. It is implied or<br />
frequently<br />
that libertarians adhere to Lenin's ``glass of water'' theory of<br />
stated<br />
a philosophy of ``if it feels good, do it'', wherein sex is seen in<br />
sex,<br />
physical terms, <strong>and</strong> any form of sexual morality or st<strong>and</strong>ards<br />
purely<br />
rejected. The only alternative to such alleged libertarian nihilism<br />
is<br />
it is then asserted, some form of Christian or ``traditional''<br />
is,<br />
morality.<br />
suppose there might be, or have been, some such nihilists amongst<br />
I<br />
but the conservative image is a straw man. Most of us adhere<br />
libertarians<br />
some system of ethics, <strong>and</strong> for most that system is a basically<br />
to<br />
<strong>Law</strong> one. Human nature is held to be universally<br />
Aristotelian/Natural<br />
<strong>and</strong> its requirements generate an objective value system <strong>and</strong> ethics<br />
constant<br />
are ``absolute'', universal, <strong>and</strong> rationally demonstrable. It is<br />
which<br />
from this ethical basis (founded in turn upon Aristotelian<br />
precisely<br />
<strong>and</strong> metaphysical views) that libertarians construct their<br />
epistemological<br />
philosophy. This is the approach of Ayn R<strong>and</strong> <strong>and</strong> her many<br />
political<br />
such as Machan, Mack, Rasmussen, Den Uyl, Kelley,<br />
disciples,<br />
Peiko€, Rothbard <strong>and</strong> others.<br />
Binswanger,<br />
Sex Code is a st<strong>and</strong>ing refutation of the Conservative caricature of<br />
The<br />
views on sex. A practising Barrister <strong>and</strong> Parliamentary<br />
libertarian<br />
<strong>Bennion</strong> is also a noted rationalist <strong>and</strong> humanist active within<br />
draftsman,<br />
British Conservative Party. Amongst his eight previous books is a<br />
the<br />
of Professional <strong>Ethics</strong>, <strong>and</strong> he is currently a research associate at the<br />
study<br />
University Centre for Socio-Legal Studies. He has also of late been<br />
Oxford<br />
in the campaign to get the Conservative Party to organise<br />
instrumental<br />
<strong>and</strong> ®eld c<strong>and</strong>idates in Northern Irel<strong>and</strong>.<br />
properly<br />
Conservative misrepresentation of the libertarian approach to sex<br />
The<br />
primarily, I suppose, from the libertarian rejection of the Christian/<br />
stems<br />
view that sex is primarily evil. And certainly Mr. <strong>Bennion</strong><br />
Conservative<br />
not shrink from a vigorous rejection of what he terms ``sexnegativism'',<br />
does<br />
a negativism ``instilled by centuries of Judaeo-Christian<br />
that sex is sinful''. Such sex negation, he correctly points out,<br />
teaching<br />
our lives, <strong>and</strong> is manifest in ``secrecy, prudery, guilt, shame <strong>and</strong><br />
poisons<br />
± Linnea Timson, Humanist Book Service, humbooks@ukgateway.net<br />
38
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