Embattled Eros: Sexual Politics and Ethics in Contemporary America (Thinking Gender)

Embattled Eros is a sophisticated analysis of the major dynamics and patterns of the contemporary debate on sexuality. Steven Seidman shows that at the root of the major conflicts within this contoversial field, are two sexual ideologies, the libertarian and the romanticist. Examining the strengths and limits of each ideology, he puts forward outlines for a sexual ethic that goes beyond the current polarization. Seidman suggests a pragmatic ethic that revolves around the concept of sexual and social responsiblity as a bridge between libertarians and romanticists. He argues that mutual consent cannot provide the only basis for limiting sexual expression, but that a sexual ethic should take account of the qualitative aspects of sexual and social change.