Synopses & Reviews
In the last decade, fierce controversy has arisen over the nature of sexual orientation. Scientific research, religious views, increasingly ambiguous gender roles, and the growing visibility of sexual minorities have sparked impassioned arguments about whether our sexual desires are hard-wired in our genes or shaped by the changing forces of society.
In recent years scientific research and popular opinion have favored the idea that sexual orientations are determined at birth, but philosopher and educator Edward Stein argues that much of what we think we know about the origins of sexual desire is probably wrong. Stein provides a comprehensive overview of such research on sexual orientation and shows that it is deeply flawed. Stein argues that this research assumes a picture of sexual desire that reflects unquestioned cultural stereotypes rather than cross-cultural scientific facts, and that it suffers from serious methodological problems. He considers whether sexual orientation is even amenable to empirical study and asks if it is useful for our understanding of human nature to categorize people based on their sexual desires. Perhaps most importantly, Stein examines some of the ethical issues surrounding such research, including gay and lesbian civil rights and the implications of parents trying to select or change the sexual orientation of their children.
The Mismeasure of Desire offers a reasoned, accessible, and incisive examination of contemporary thinking about one of the most hotly debated issues of our time and adds a compelling voice of dissent to prevailing--and largely unexamined--assumptions about human sexuality.
Review
"Should be the first title on any queer studies reading list. Intelligent, well-researched, and well-written. A gem of philosophical debate."--Library Journal
"The Mismeasure of Desire is the best analysis in print of the many theories of what causes sexual orientation. Stein's analysis bears importantly on constitutional issues such as the level of equal protection scrutiny courts should apply to sexual orientation classifications and the rationality of anti-gay of `no promo homo' state policies."--William Eskridge, Yale Law School
"Here Edward Stein explains, analyzes, and criticizes the notion that sexual orientation is biological, and therefore not chosen or changeable, and therefore an unfair basis for moral condemnation and also therefore protected from discrimination by our norms and laws requiring equality. He brings his prodigious skill as an analytic philosopher to bear on a conceptual, scientific, ethical and legal problem of great complexity, not only putting the problem on a new footing but setting an example for honesty, clarity and care in thinking about controversial social issues. Stein reminds us that slipshod pro-gay thinking is not really pro-gay. I wish he could write us a book every year."--Janet E. Halley, Professor of Law and Robert E. Paradise Faculty Scholar, Stanford University
"An expertly analytical contribution to the literature, The Mismeasure of Desire re-sets the stage of debate and action."--Christopher Moore, The Dartmouth Contemporary
Synopsis
In recent years scientific research and popular opinion have favored the idea that sexual orientations are determined at birth. In this book, philosopher and legal theorist Edward Stein investigates scientific research on sexual orientation and shows that it is deeply flawed. He argues that this research assumes a picture of sexual desire that reflects unquestioned cultural stereotypes rather than cross-cultural scientific facts, and that it suffers from serious methodological problems. He then asks whether sexual orientation is amenable to empirical study and if it is useful for our understanding of human nature to categorize people based on their sexual desires. Perhaps most importantly, Stein examines some of the ethical issues surrounding such research, including gay and lesbian civil rights and the implications of parents trying to select or change thesexual orientation of their children.
Description
Includes bibliographical references (p. 359-381) and index.
About the Author
Edward Stein is the author of
Without Good Reason: The Rationality Debate in Philosophy and Cognitive Science (OUP) and the editor of
Forms of Desire: Sexual Orientation and the Social Constructionist Controversy. He holds a Ph.D. in philosophy from M.I.T. and has taught at Yale University, New York University, Mount Holyoke College, and Williams College. He will be receiving a J.D. from Yale Law School in 2000.
Table of Contents
Preface
Introduction
Part I: Metaphysics
1. Sex, Gender, and Sexual Orientation
2. What Is a Sexual Orientation?
3. Human Kinds
4. Essentialism and Constructionism about Sexual Orientation
Part II: Science
5. The Emerging Scientific Program for the Study of Sexual Orientation
6. Animal Models and Evolutionary Accounts in the Emerging Research Program
7. Critique of the Emerging Research Program
8. Experiential Theories of Sexual Orientation
9. Sexual Orientation and Choice
Part III: Ethics
10. Lesbian and Gay Rights and the Science of Sexual Orientation
11. Selecting and Changing the Sexual Orientation of Children
12. Should Scientific Research on Sexual Orientation Be Done?
Conclusion
Notes
Bibliography
Index