write a 1500 word essay
There are a variety of readings in this course that take a number of different approaches
and perspectives to the topic of love and sex. Is there one reading that stands out for you
– one that challenged you in a way that expanded or changed your understanding of love
and/or sex? Here is a list of primary readings from Modules 2-6:
Ryan and Jethá: “Introduction” from Sex at Dawn
Zuk: “Paleofantasy Love,” from Paleofantasy
Schopenhauer: “Metaphysics of the Love of the Senses,” from The World as Will
and Idea
Kant: “Duties Towards the Body in Respect of Sexual Impulse” from Lectures on
Ethics
Sade: selections from “Fifth Dialogue” and “Yet Another Effort, Frenchmen, If
You Would Become Republicans,” from Philosophy in the Bedroom
Freud: “Sexual Aberrations,” the first essay from Three Essays on the Theory of
Sexuality
Blackburn: selections from Lust
Nussbaum: “Objectification”
Dines: “Grooming for Gonzo,” from Pornland: How Porn Has Hijacked Our
Sexuality
Smith and Attwood: “Emotional Truths and Thrilling Slide Shows: The
Resurgence of Anti-porn Feminism,” from The Feminist Porn Book: The Politics
of Producing Pleasure
Fausto-Sterling: “Thinking About Homosexuality,” from Sex/Gender: Biology in
a Social World
Diamond: “How Does Fluidity Work?” from Sexual Fluidity
Beauvoir: “The Woman in Love,” from The Second Sex
Bloom: “The Fall of Eros,” from Love and Friendship
Plato: Speech of Aristophanes from Symposium, pp. 473-476
Plato: Speech of Socrates from Symposium, pp. 484-494
Abelard and Heloise: Letters 3-6
From the list above, choose the ONE reading that had the greatest impact on you and that
enhanced or changed something in your understanding of sex and/or love. Then compose
an essay that discusses the reading and how it impacted you.
STRUCTURE OF ESSAY
Your essay should be organized into three main sections as follows:
1) Opening Paragraph (1 paragraph): Provide a proper introduction to your essay. In
summary, identify which reading you will discuss, specify which argument or point in the
reading impacted you, and state in summary how it expanded or changed your perception
of something related to sex and/or love.
2) Analysis of Reading (approximately 3-4 paragraphs): Discuss the reading and
provide an extended analysis of the point or argument in the reading that impacted you
the most. Be sure to provide quotations and references to the reading, and provide as
clear a description of the reading as possible. You MUST refer to a primary reading
available as a PDF in Course Readings.
3) How the Reading Impacted You (approximately 2-3 paragraphs): Provide a
detailed account of how the reading enhanced your understanding or completely changed
your opinion about a certain topic. What was your understanding about this topic before
the reading? How has your understanding expanded or changed since the reading?
Provide reasons as to why this article impacted you (not just feelings). What impact do
you think this will have on how you think, speak, or act in the future?
