PHIL 200 Chapter Notes -Crime Against Nature, Sexual Intercourse, Fellatio
12 Jun 2018
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Beyond these trivial areas of general agreement, there are deep differences between the views of
Aquinas and Nagel.
Based on a comparison of the sexuality of humans and the sexuality of lower animals, Aquinas
concludes that what is natural in human sexuality is the impulse to engage in heterosexual coitus.
Heterosexual coitus is the mechanism designed by the Christian God to ensure the preservation of
animal species, including the human species, and hence engaging in this activity is the primary
natural expression of human sexual nature.
Further, this God designed each of the parts of the human body to carry out specific functions, and
on Aquinas's view God designed the male penis to implant sperm into the female's vagina for the
purpose of effecting procreation.
It follows, for Aquinas, that depositing the sperm elsewhere than inside a human female's vagina is
unnatural: it is a violation of God's design, contrary to the natural order of the world as established
by God.
For this reason alone, on Aquinas's view, such activities are immoral, a grave offense to the
sagacious plan of the Almighty.
Sexual intercourse with lower animals, sexual activity with members of one's own sex, and
masturbation, for Aquinas, are unnatural sexual acts and immoral exactly for that reason.
If they are committed intentionally, according to one's will, they disrupt deliberately the natural
order of the world as created by God and which God commanded to be respected.
23 In none of these activities is there any possibility of procreation, and the sexual and other organs
are used, or misused, for purposes other than that for which they were designed.
Although Aquinas does not say so explicitly, but only hints in this direction, it follows from his
philosophy of sexuality that fellatio, even when engaged in by heterosexuals, is also unnatural and
morally wrong.
At least in those cases in which orgasm occurs by means of this act, the sperm is not being placed
where it should be placed and procreation is therefore not possible.
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Document Summary
Beyond these trivial areas of general agreement, there are deep differences between the views of. Based on a comparison of the sexuality of humans and the sexuality of lower animals, aquinas concludes that what is natural in human sexuality is the impulse to engage in heterosexual coitus. Heterosexual coitus is the mechanism designed by the christian god to ensure the preservation of animal species, including the human species, and hence engaging in this activity is the primary natural expression of human sexual nature. Further, this god designed each of the parts of the human body to carry out specific functions, and on aquinas"s view god designed the male penis to implant sperm into the female"s vagina for the purpose of effecting procreation. It follows, for aquinas, that depositing the sperm elsewhere than inside a human female"s vagina is unnatural: it is a violation of god"s design, contrary to the natural order of the world as established by god.
