6 votes

Perversions: Atheists and homosexuals were called perverts once. Why do we still see perversion where no harm is done?

Posted by patience_limited
Tags: homosexuality, ethics, atheism, psychology, perversion, essays, author.jesse bering, source.aeon
https://aeon.co/essays/perhaps-it-s-time-to-get-rid-of-the-word-pervert-altogether

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Title
Perhaps it's time to get rid of the word pervert altogether - Jesse Bering | Aeon Essays
Published
Sep 25 2013
Word count
2850 words

3 comments

  1. zoec
    Link
    I searched for nussbaum and didn't find a mention. I wonder what Martha Nussbaum would say about this, having not read through her books yet.

    I searched for nussbaum and didn't find a mention. I wonder what Martha Nussbaum would say about this, having not read through her books yet.

    My study of disgust and shame shows that these emotions threaten key values of a liberal society, especially equal respect for people and for their liberty. Disgust and shame are inherently hierarchical; they set up ranks and orders of human beings. They are also inherently connected with restrictions on liberty in areas of non-harmful conduct. For both of these reasons, I believe, anyone who cherishes the key democratic values of equality and liberty should be deeply suspicious of the appeal to those emotions in the context of law and public policy.

    3 votes
  2. patience_limited
    Link
    I found that the salient points were: The original usage of the word "pervert" essentially referred to anyone who resisted the moral authority of the Church-with-a-capital-C. The nascent authority...

    I found that the salient points were:

    1. The original usage of the word "pervert" essentially referred to anyone who resisted the moral authority of the Church-with-a-capital-C.
    2. The nascent authority of medical expertise redirected the definition of "perversion" not at behaviours, but at innate psychological qualities, or "essence".
    3. The author asserts that the only measure of morality and effective authority should be whether the behaviours that arise from "essence" are harmful.
    2 votes
  3. autopsy_turvy
    Link
    So is the author saying it's still okay to call sexually violent people perverts? The reasoning seems a little baseless. Many many words have changed fundamentally from what they once were, but we...

    So is the author saying it's still okay to call sexually violent people perverts?

    The reasoning seems a little baseless. Many many words have changed fundamentally from what they once were, but we don't always abandon them based on their history. If it changes to a useful modern term, so be it.

    Perhaps we should shift towards a definition of pervert that only involves harmful acts, instead of suppressing it altogether.

    Most of all, removing a word doesn't change a certain group's opinion of another, they'll just start using another derogatory word in its place.

    2 votes