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Minimizing Marriage: Marriage, Morality, and the Law (Studies in Feminist Philosophy) 1st Edition

by Elizabeth Brake (Author)
4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars 20 ratings
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Even in secular and civil contexts, marriage retains sacramental connotations. Yet what moral significance does it have? This book examines its morally salient features -- promise, commitment, care, and contract -- with surprising results. In Part One, "De-Moralizing Marriage," essays on promise and commitment argue that we cannot promise to love and so wedding vows are (mostly) failed promises, and that marriage may be a poor commitment strategy. The book contends with the most influential philosophical accounts of the moral value of marriage to argue that marriage has no inherent moral significance. Further, the special value accorded marriage sustains amatonormative discrimination - discrimination against non-amorous or non-exclusive caring relationships such as friendships, adult care networks, polyamorous groups, or urban tribes. The discussion raises issues of independent interest for the moral philosopher such as the possibilities and bounds of interpersonal moral obligations and the nature of commitment.
The central argument of Part Two, "Democratizing Marriage," is that liberal reasons for recognizing same-sex marriage also require recognition of groups, polyamorists, polygamists, friends, urban tribes, and adult care networks. Political liberalism requires the disestablishment of monogamous amatonormative marriage. Under the constraints of public reason, a liberal state must refrain from basing law solely on moral or religious doctrines; but only such doctrines could furnish reason for restricting marriage to male-female couples or romantic love dyads. Restrictions on marriage should thus be minimized. But public reason can provide a strong rationale for minimal marriage: care, and social supports for care, are a matter of fundamental justice. Part Two also responds to challenges posed by property division on divorce, polygyny, and supporting parenting, and builds on critiques of marriage drawn from feminism, queer theory, and race theory. It argues, using the example of minimal marriage, for the compatibility of liberalism and feminism.
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  1. ISBN-10
    9780199774135
  2. ISBN-13
    978-0199774135
  3. Edition
    1st
  4. Publisher
    Oxford University Press
  5. Publication date
    March 16, 2012
  6. Part of series
    Studies in Feminist Philosophy
  7. Language
    English
  8. Dimensions
    9.21 x 6.14 x 0.58 inches
  9. Print length
    256 pages
  10. See all details
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Customer reviews

4.7 out of 5 stars
20 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

theottersden
5.0 out of 5 stars A Wonderful Book
Reviewed in the United States on March 24, 2012
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Elizabeth Brake's _Minimizing Marriage_ is one of the most interesting, well-written, and well-argued books about the future of marriage written in a long while. While there is a voluminous academic literature on same-sex marriage, surprisingly, little has been written about the disestablishment (abolition) of civil marriage (w/ the notable exception of Tamara Metz's _Untying the Knot_) and its being replaced with a more inclusive, marriage-like status that doesn't privilege monogamy, different-sex or same-sex. Brake argues that the state can and should remain in the marriage business, so to speak, provided that it has a sufficiently neutral or public reason for offering such a legal status. That reason is the promotion of care in intimate relationships that do not have to only involve two persons or be premised upon a romantic or sexual relationship. Brake is a moral and political philosopher but she writes in a manner that is not only admirably jargon-free but she also includes real-world examples that make her work less abstract than it otherwise would be and therefore, more accessible to someone who isn't trained as an analytical philosopher. In short, I couldn't recommend this book more highly for anyone who is interested in where the debate over same-sex marriage is likely to lead.
8 people found this helpful
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Jim Meyers
5.0 out of 5 stars Well written, well researched
Reviewed in the United States on July 10, 2013
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Great book. Brake writes succinctly and fits an amazing amount of information in her book. It's a fun read if you're curious about this institution.
One person found this helpful
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Arina P.
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in the United States on June 14, 2015
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Great little book about everything that is wrong with marriage.
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Phillip Wells
4.0 out of 5 stars The next frontier of marriage reform
Reviewed in the United States on September 15, 2016
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A persuasive look at why marriage should be extended beyond exclusive, central, different-sex and same-sex dyadic amorous relationships to include all caring relationships. The language can get a little technical at times, especially in the later chapters, and Brake sometimes repeats herself, but overall a perfectly readable book for the layperson. Brake's argument for why it's morally acceptable to break wedding vows is interesting, even though I didn't entirely buy it.
3 people found this helpful
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Commentator
5.0 out of 5 stars interesting
Reviewed in the United States on January 29, 2018
Feminism has basically destroyed the value of marriage, as such, in the USA. From a man's point of view... Would you sleep with a poisonous snake? No? Women are worse than that, in the USA. Getting married is a major energy drain, risk of destruction, and is simply no longer productive, for men. It's that simple. LISTEN UP, guys: women can accuse men of anything- AND NEITHER THE COPS NOR THE COURTS LISTEN TO THE MAN'S SIDE. Got that? If you don't trust the woman, don't have anything to do with her. Black people in the old South did better in court, than men in courts, when accused by women. You WILL be lynched, if a woman complains. Marriage is a very high maintenance, low reward state to be in, with major risks. Think about it. Would you enter a lottery, with a better than 50% chance of losing half your income, and possessions? Or as Bill Burr says, "Oh, here's the line where I can lose half my stuff, and income. I'm in!" I have a friend at work, who dated a woman- first in her class at Wellesley, very smart, gorgeous, and so on. She dumped him, which he later realized was a blessing. Intelligence and drive in a woman is good- if it is helpful. If it is used against her husband, it is not useful. Here are some reasons why this book is important- at least 2 parents in a family really do make a difference:

More Statistics on Fatherlessness: CHILDREN NEED BOTH PARENTS It is a Fact! Here is why: · 63% of youth suicides are from fatherless homes. (Source: U.S. D.H.H.S., Bureau of the Census). · 90% of all homeless and runaway children are from fatherless homes. · 85% of all children that exhibit behavioral disorders come from fatherless homes. (Source: Center for Disease Control). · 80% of rapist motivated by displaced anger come from fatherless homes. (Source: Criminal Justice and Behavior, Vol. 14, pp. 403-26). · 71% of all high school dropouts come from fatherless homes. (Source: National Principals Assoc. Report on the State of High Schools). · 85% of all youths sitting in prisons grew up in a fatherless home. (Source: Fulton County Georgia jail populations, Texas Dept. Of Corrections, 1992). These statistics mean that children from fatherless homes are: · 5 times more likely to commit suicide · 32 times more likely to run away · 20 times more likely to have behavioral disorders · 14 times more likely to commit rape · 9 times more likely to drop out of high school · 20 times more likely to end up in prison. Listen to Tom Leykis. Women have been treating men badly since the 1960's- and Tom's show was the top of any media outlet, in California. Tom says that children are indeed much better off in a 2 parent family- but that there are NO benefits to being a man, in such a family, and MANY reasons why this is becoming an increasingly worse idea. This is Really Good!
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