Syllogistic Outline of Confronting Sexual Nihilism

Confronting Sexual Nihilism: Traditional Sexual Morality as an Antidote to Nihilism

For this post, I outline the book’s argument. Of course, most of the signficant philosophy is done to support these very general premisses. Some subsequent Blog posts on this site will give an elaboration of the arguments for these very general premisses.

A free copy of my book is available upon request to kielkopf.1@osu.edu

Outline title: Confronting nihilism with character morality,

1. All life orientations sufficient for overcoming nihilism are life orientations requiring moral development of all aspects of what it is to be human.

2. All life orientations requiring moral development of all aspects of what it is to be human are life orientations holding a moral theory that there are sex specific moral rules for human sexuality.

3. So, all life orientations sufficient for overcoming nihilism are life orientations holding a moral theory that there are sex specific moral rules for human sexuality. (Syllogism 1,2)

So,(4) No life orientations sufficient for overcoming nihilism are life orientations not holding a moral theory that there are sex specific moral rules for human sexuality. (Obversion 3)

5. All life orientations not holding a moral theory that there are sex specific rules for human sexuality are sexually nihilistic life orientations. (Crucial definition of moral nihilism)

So, (6) No life orientations sufficient for overcoming nihilism are sexually nihilistic life orientations. (Syllogism 4,5)

ยง2.2 Traditional sexual morality as an antidote to nihilism,

Are there any life orientations sufficient for overcoming nihilism? Yes.

7. A life orientation taking the parental stance which entails the Paternal Principle is a well justified life orientation sufficient for overcoming nihilism.

The Paternal Principle is a crucial component of traditional sexual morality. It prescribes:

A male may intentionally attain a sexual climax only in sexual intercourse with a consenting woman to whom he is bound by a life-long, monogamous, socially recognized union for procreation, In addition he should:(1) intend to cooperate with his spouse to protect and promote the lifelong natural development of any conception resulting from this intercourse and (2) strive to appreciate with his spouse the natural value of their sexual satisfactions and cooperate with her to enhance those satisfactions.