PP233 Lecture Notes - Lecture 6: Jean-Paul Sartre, Erotic Art
Document Summary
Russon emphasizes the social nature of sexual desire. Sartre, nagel, and jacobsen, a fundamental part of what we desire is another person"s desire. This is physical reciprocation and the reciprocation of desire. Philosophers like hegel have suggested that the notion of recognition (ethical concept) is key to this. We want recognition of our personhood, in that we are seen as more than an instrument of physical pleasure. It is through recognition that we see ourselves in the eyes of the other person. Russon notes that the kind of intimacy required for this mutual recognition opens us op to emotional vulnerability. We might be rejected by the other person, our self-esteem may be damaged by rejection or failure to satisfy the other person. In this sense, our sexual interactions contribute to our sense of identity as sexual and sexually desirable beings. There is an inherently social dimension to our sexual life which expresses a certain way of interacting with other people.