In our selection of reading from Philosophy of Love, Sex, and Marriage, “Sexual Perversion and Sexual Fantasy,” Raja Halwani describes Thomas Nagel’s account of sexual perversion as a psychological account pertaining to desires and not actions (282), Nagel’s account of natural sexual desire as involving multi-leveled mutual awareness by two people (283), and outlines a set of examples where there are sexual acts that are deviations from Nagel’s model but not thereby perverted, such as fantasizing about others and not recognizing the real partner (284).

Halwani challenges Nagel’s multi-level mutual awareness view of normal sexual desire by targeting the accuracy of Nagel’s view, arguing that “it classifies many non-perverted sexual practices as perversions, and many perversions as non-perversions” (284). Of the examples Halwani gives, he includes “oral sex between a heterosexual (or homosexual) couple” as that which would fail to exhibit a multi-leveled awareness view of desire, among other forms of sexual interaction . Halwani attempts to defend Nagel’s model (285), but ultimately concludes that “two people can instantiate Nagel’s multi-levels of arousal during sexual activities that most people consider perverted” (286).

The purpose of this assignment is for you to further exercise your explication and summary skills, and develop your argumentative skills. To reach these goals, your tasks are as follows:

Deadline: Friday, March 10th by 11:59 PM through Quercus.

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