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Ethics of Sex
Ethics of Sex, The by Thielicke, Helmut, tr. John W. Doberstein
338 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1964
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
January 28, 2012
This book is a lot more than just sexual ethics. I saw this book on a book shelf and picked it up out of boredom. 3 hours later I paused reading only long enough to find myself a copy on Amazon.
No, it isn't titillating.
This is the most thoughtful contemplation of human beings as sexual creatures you will ever read.
I've read some philosophy of sex before. Unfortunately most intelligent writing on sex tends to be deconstructionist stuff that only discusses sex in terms of abuse, power, and various "isms." While that kind of discussion has it's place, it doesn't address the actual common experience of sex and sexual attraction.
As a Christian thinker Thielicke concludes that monogamous heterosexual marriage is the ethically proper context for sexuality. Unfortunately, I think this religious perspective has kept a larger audience from the best and most thoughtful discussion of human sexuality I have ever read. I imagine even gay polygamist atheists would find much to appreciate in this brilliant book.
The only time I have read such thoughtful reflection on the human sexual experience is in poetry, but while poetry is a vague medium Thielicke's discussion of sex is in the precise language of philosophy without losing sight of the fact that he is dealing with a deeply mysterious human experience.
No, it isn't titillating.
This is the most thoughtful contemplation of human beings as sexual creatures you will ever read.
I've read some philosophy of sex before. Unfortunately most intelligent writing on sex tends to be deconstructionist stuff that only discusses sex in terms of abuse, power, and various "isms." While that kind of discussion has it's place, it doesn't address the actual common experience of sex and sexual attraction.
As a Christian thinker Thielicke concludes that monogamous heterosexual marriage is the ethically proper context for sexuality. Unfortunately, I think this religious perspective has kept a larger audience from the best and most thoughtful discussion of human sexuality I have ever read. I imagine even gay polygamist atheists would find much to appreciate in this brilliant book.
The only time I have read such thoughtful reflection on the human sexual experience is in poetry, but while poetry is a vague medium Thielicke's discussion of sex is in the precise language of philosophy without losing sight of the fact that he is dealing with a deeply mysterious human experience.
March 8, 2019
This book was a mixed bag for me. Some sections are genuinely brilliant. Some I found to be incomprehensible, whether bogged down by the writing style or by what seemed to me to be a strange focus or emphasis by Thielicke. This book is very abstract which is sometimes what makes what he says so insightful, other times it makes it incomprehensible.
I think the section on contraception is really well done. The section on artificial insemination was a lot more interesting and insightful than I expected. Thielicke's emphasis on the union of eros and agape was quite good and I think perhaps one of the more helpful insights of this book.
I think that Thielicke overemphasizes the degree to which our context has fundamentally changed from that of the biblical authors and that this fatally hampers much of his theological analysis.
I think the section on contraception is really well done. The section on artificial insemination was a lot more interesting and insightful than I expected. Thielicke's emphasis on the union of eros and agape was quite good and I think perhaps one of the more helpful insights of this book.
I think that Thielicke overemphasizes the degree to which our context has fundamentally changed from that of the biblical authors and that this fatally hampers much of his theological analysis.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews