Monday 13 May 2013

All PIV Sex rape?

Some radical feminists have made the claim that all forms of PIV (Penis In Vagina) Sex constitute a form of rape in patriarchal societies. To most people this claim would appear utterly ludicrous, no one denies that rape happens but to say that all PIV Sex is rape is somewhat of an overstatement. Most dismiss the argument out of hand, but I believe such an approach is fundamentally mistaken. There seems to be a surprising number of people who accept this rather dubious argument and therefore I want to examine where the argument(s) go wrong. 

PIV Can't be Autonomous As I have seen it, one version of the argument run something like the following:  

  • 1) In patriarchal societies gender power imbalances exist. 
  • 2) Such power imbalances undermine women's autonomy/agency. 
  • 3) Women therefore lack total autonomy/agency and cannot give proper adequate consent to PIV Sex. 
  • C) All PIV Sex is rape 
In order for the argument to run at all we have to accept the first rather uncontroversial premise. The second premise seems to follow from the first premise as well, imbalances in power do tend to undermine autonomy/agency to some extent. Though I would stress that the existence of imbalances of power can undermine autonomy, they do not preclude individuals acting autonomously. Medical ethics is fall of cases where physicians are in a position of power, but this does not necessarily prevent a patient from acting autonomously.  

It therefore seems, that the problem with the argument lies with the third premise. However, it appears that feminists that advance this particular argument adopt a extremely stringent account of autonomy. According to such an account, an action can only be autonomous if it is totally autonomous. However it is rare to find any actions which can be considered totally autonomous, for instance there are a number of different factors that can inhibit our autonomy. 
  • Incomplete or incorrect information. 
  • Power imbalances. 
  • Lack of other desirable choices. 
  • Irrational beliefs. 
  • Genetic makeup/Background. 
Everything in the above list can inhibit autonomy in a number of different spheres of life. The above factors for instance can limit your autonomy when deciding what job to take or when attempting to give up certain types of negative behavior. But we would be wrong to say that they totally undermine the possibility for autonomous action. A combination of the above factors may preclude autonomous actions in certain situations, but not in all situations. Therefore it can be seen that the conclusion that all PIV Sex is rape does not follow from the third premise of the argument as I have presented it.  

PIV Damages Women's Health (The Consequential Argument) 
It has come to my attention that radical feminists aren't only advancing anti-PIV arguments on the basis that PIV Sex can't not be properly autonomous but they are also running consequentialist arguments against PIV Sex. 

  • 1) People can't properly consent to things that harm them. (Embracing a Kantian conception of autonomy) 
  • 2) PIV Sex undoubtedly negatively effects women. 
  • C) All PIV Sex is rape/cannot be properly consensual.  
This version of the argument clearly embraces a questionable notion of autonomy. Namely, that an autonomous action can only be autonomous if such an action is rational (promotes their welfare). Proper respect for autonomy requires we respect people decisions even if those decisions do not promote their welfare. I personally believe that the Kantian notion of autonomy introduces an unacceptable amount of paternalism into ethics. 

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