In this essay I will try to draw an analogy to the State of Nature as it is mentioned by Hobbes, stating that the driving forces of sexuality lead to a dilemma situation similar to the one Hobbes describes. I will also argue that the emerging anarchic order calls for a different mode to legitimate authority. Finally an examination of different cultural and ideological approaches towards gender and family should help to answer the question: who rules why? It′s a snapshot of interfaces between psychological, sub-cultural and cultural premises, available to be exploited for political reason.
Table of Contents
1. Fatal Attraction
2. Women as the cream of the crop of the State of Nature
3. Women and their "good nose" for the right partner
4. The first natural law: every man got the same right to compete for women
5. The second natural law: every woman got the same right to seduce man
6. Anarchy ≠ Anarchy
7. The construction of the civil society
8. Different models of regulating sexual competition
8.1 Sex and Totalitarianism
8.2 Sex, Patriarchies and Religion
8.3 Sex and Democracies
9. Gender matters!
10. The construction of love and arts
11. Conclusion
Research Objectives and Key Themes
This paper examines the influence of human sexuality and natural biological drives on the formation of political order, social structures, and authority. It explores the tension between individual reproductive strategies and the societal need for stability, arguing that historical and ideological models of governance are often derived from attempts to regulate sexual competition.
- The analogy of the "State of Nature" in the context of human reproductive drive and competition.
- Biological and psychological motivations behind partner selection and social hierarchy.
- The transition from anarchic sexual competition to regulated civil society.
- Comparative analysis of totalitarian, patriarchal, and democratic approaches to managing sexual desire.
- The social construction of aesthetics, love, and gender roles as tools for political stability.
Excerpt from the Book
1. Fatal Attraction
Last summer I was walking down the street with a friend in Heidelberg, when she suddenly stopped in front of a big electoral advertisement showing the German Minister of Foreign Affairs Joschka Fischer. "Oh my god", she exclaimed, "Isn't he cute? He looks like a big Teddy Bear!" Never before, it came to my mind that a young woman could consider a dwarfish, crumpled and old politician as cute. But indeed! The picture was perfectly photographed, showing the politician leaning his face in both of his hands, his wrinkles expressing all the sorrows of this world, his eyes promising you only one thing: "I care!" A public relation-tailored "dream come true" for every woman's heart. With this man SHE would like to get old. Likewise, in a later poll by a newspaper, asking German women with whom they'd like to spend a night with, Fischer hit the incredible third place behind singer Robbie Williams and actor Brad Pitt. Similar stories about their sexual attraction are also known of Tony Blair, Bill Clinton and not to forget, John F. Kennedy.
The idea hidden behind this media campaign perfectly anticipates a well experienced, but seldom uncovered mystery underlying to human behavior. There's a relation between sex appeal and the willingness to obey, a certain kind of charisma surrounding the Attractive, which isn't shared by the Attracted. While sex appeal is a pretty evident explanation for a male politician's popularity under women, one must ask, if it also attracts man. If so, do men just see them as idols? Is it thus easy? Why then, are so many men attracted to politicians promoting conservative ideas of sexual relations? Because they fear to lose their women's respect, while not being the same amiable? Can religious ideas about sexuality therefore be seen as a mean to safeguard traditional values? Asking these questions, one quickly returns to the roots of human psychology, mankind's struggle for survival, identity, order and society. And all of this, just because everybody loves somebody sometimes? Is it really all about love?
Summary of Chapters
1. Fatal Attraction: Introduces the correlation between political charisma, sexual appeal, and the psychological roots of human social behavior.
2. Women as the cream of the crop of the State of Nature: Expands upon Hobbes’ State of Nature by incorporating the biological imperative of reproduction into the struggle for survival.
3. Women and their "good nose" for the right partner: Analyzes the biological mechanisms, such as immune system compatibility, that guide female partner selection and challenge Darwinian dominance hierarchies.
4. The first natural law: every man got the same right to compete for women: Discusses the transition from primitive survival to competition driven by "ratio" and the desire to possess desired partners.
5. The second natural law: every woman got the same right to seduce man: Examines female strategies in the State of Nature and the emergence of competitive dynamics among women.
6. Anarchy ≠ Anarchy: Defines the pre-tribal condition where the necessity of caring for offspring moderates the otherwise anarchic competition between individuals.
7. The construction of the civil society: Proposes a model where individuals form structures not just for political order, but as regulatory systems to manage sexual competition.
8. Different models of regulating sexual competition: Categorizes historical governance models, including totalitarianism, patriarchal structures, and democracies, based on their approach to sexual regulation.
9. Gender matters!: Argues that political systems inevitably impose costs on women to maintain order, often reducing them to property or objects of state regulation.
10. The construction of love and arts: Explores how aesthetic ideals and romantic love are social constructs used to manage and channel sexual frustration and human passion.
11. Conclusion: Summarizes the thesis that legitimacy of authority is fundamentally linked to the management of human sexuality and reproductive drives.
Keywords
State of Nature, Sexual Competition, Human Psychology, Reproductive Drive, Political Order, Totalitarianism, Patriarchies, Democracy, Gender Roles, Social Construction, Aesthetics, Evolutionary Biology, Authority, Marriage, Leadership
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core focus of this assignment?
The assignment explores how biological sexual drives and the resulting competition for partners shape the development of human political and social structures.
What are the primary themes discussed?
The themes include the State of Nature, the regulation of sexual desire, the emergence of patriarchal and totalitarian systems, and the role of gender in forming civil society.
What is the main research question of this study?
The paper seeks to answer how and why sexual competition creates order, investigating the relationship between human psychology, reproductive needs, and political legitimacy.
What scientific methods are utilized?
The author uses a theoretical and interdisciplinary approach, synthesizing philosophy (Hobbes, Aristotle, Plato), biology, and evolutionary psychology to construct a model of social transition.
What is covered in the main body of the work?
The main body moves from individual biological incentives to the formation of social institutions, categorizing how different regimes—totalitarian, patriarchal, and democratic—attempt to regulate and institutionalize human sexuality.
Which keywords best characterize the work?
Key terms include State of Nature, sexual competition, political order, reproduction, and the social construction of love and aesthetics.
How does the author characterize the role of women in the State of Nature?
The author argues that women hold a unique power through selective choice based on biological compatibility, a power that societies subsequently attempt to restrict or control through marriage and social norms.
What role does religion play according to the author?
Religion is identified as a mechanism for legitimizing patriarchal leadership and consolidating work-sharing roles, effectively framing societal stability as a religious duty rather than a mere practical necessity.
- Quote paper
- Jochen Gottwald (Author), 2003, A story of ethics - how sex creates order, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/19476
