Mastering the Ethics of Sex: Insights from Augustine and Aquinas

Understanding Sexual Ethics with Augustine and Aquinas

When delving into the ethics of sex, the teachings of Augustine and Aquinas provide profound insights into the complexities of sexual desire, pleasure, and the institution of marriage. Their perspectives offer a deep dive into the moral fabric governing sexual relations, highlighting the importance of intention, the role of marriage, and the distinction between different forms of sexual acts.

The Instrumentality of Marriage

Both Augustine and Aquinas view marriage as instrumentally good, meaning it serves as a means to achieve higher moral ends. This instrumental view does not diminish the value of marriage; instead, it underscores its significance in facilitating morally permissible actions within a sexual framework. Marriage, according to these thinkers, is good for several reasons:

• Procreation: The primary and most evident purpose of marriage is to bear children. This aligns with the divine command to reproduce, ensuring that sexual acts serve their natural purpose without falling into the realm of lust solely for pleasure.

• Natural Companionship: Marriage provides a stable and committed partnership, fulfilling humans' innate need for companionship. This companionship is not merely about alleviating loneliness but also about creating a mutual support system that adheres to moral virtues.

• Tempering Concupiscence: Concupiscence, or the strong desire, particularly for sexual pleasure, is seen as a consequence of humanity's fallen state. Marriage offers a legitimate outlet for these desires, tempering them by aligning sexual acts with their procreative purpose.

• Turning Lust to Good Ends: Within the context of marriage, the act of sex, even when motivated by pleasure, is not considered inherently sinful. Augustine and Aquinas argue that as long as sexual acts are open to the possibility of procreation, they can be morally permissible. This perspective highlights the nuanced understanding of sexual pleasure, distinguishing between lustful intentions and the natural enjoyment of sexual acts.

Augustine's Hierarchy of Sexual Goods

Augustine presents a hierarchy of sexual goods that further clarifies the ethical landscape of sexual activities. At the top of this hierarchy is celibacy, followed by continent marriage, which involves companionship without sexual relations. An incontinent marriage, where partners engage in sexual acts for pleasure but remain open to procreation, is seen as permissible, albeit not ideal. The least favorable scenarios involve fornication and adultery, which are condemned for violating the sacred bounds of marriage and the natural law of procreation.

Natural Law and Sexual Morality

The concept of natural law plays a crucial role in the ethical evaluation of sexual acts. According to this framework, every action, including sexual acts, must align with the inherent purposes or functions assigned by nature. Unnatural acts, such as masturbation, homosexual relations, and bestiality, are deemed morally reprehensible because they deviate from the natural purposes of sexual organs, highlighting a fundamental disconnect between action and intention.

Navigating the Ethics of Sex

The teachings of Augustine and Aquinas provide a comprehensive framework for understanding the ethics of sex, emphasizing the sanctity of marriage, the importance of procreative intentions, and the moral evaluation of sexual pleasures. Their perspectives invite a reflective examination of our sexual behaviors, urging us to align our actions with the higher moral goods that govern human sexuality.

For a deeper exploration of these themes and their implications on sexual ethics, view the original discussion here.