Customer Reviews

Philosophy Sex Love (Paragon Issues in Philosophy)

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I was able to take Professor Soble's class this summer. As I was looking through this book in the University book store several of the chapter headings piqued my interest and I ended up reading the book even before class began. I found his writing to be clear and understandable, even with the occasional discussions of the love/sex life of the those poor confused individuals knows as x and y (I wish them luck in their search for exclusivity, constancy & reciprocity!) He often made his points with humor and even made me laugh out loud at his references to the World Series, things that are waved at the public during Mardi Gras and what provides an interesting distraction from grading exam papers! From Plato & St. Paul to Goldman & Nagel, Professor Soble's book takes the reader through the many questions asked throughout history about the nature of sex and love and does it in such a way that we can all understand it.

An interesting read, the book is very categorically divided into two almost unrelated sections: one on sex and the other on love. One would have expected such an expert dealing more specifically with the relationship between the two. As a general treatise, surely, I have read better works - even if considerably shorter - by Alan Soble. For instance, what Soble calls the "metaphysics of sexuality", and his very apt distinction between "metaphysical sexual pessimism" and "metaphysical sexual optimism", are practically absent altogether. The title of the book purports to be the (why not "a") philosophy of sex and love (together or separately?), but rather disappoints as a philosophical treatise. Notwithstanding, coming from such a brilliant expert on the subject, this book is not to be missed by anyone interested in the themes dealt with. It includes some very interesting discussions as well.

What makes many of us tick and what continues the species, Sex and Love are two complicated things. Now in a significantly revised and expanded second edition, "The Philosophy of Sex and Love" by Alan Soble is a scholarly text tackling the philosophical and moral questions surrounding what's on the minds of many throughout the day. Questions on morality of many sexual practices, the psychological aspect of many of them, how love ties into everything, and more are discussed, to prompt many readers to put deep thought into one of humanity's most basic instincts. "The Philosophy of Sex and Love" is intriguing and very much enlightening to readers, highly recommended.