I've talked before about an
experiential approach to philosophy, especially one that leaves the
isolation of academe or the isolated mountaintop of Zarathustra and
interacts with everyday people in real situations.
There's quite a few people who, given
the choice, would prefer not to get involved in such discussions.
They feel such things are over their heads, or too abstract, or have
no connection to the really real world. Others used to do that kind
of thing in college, but they're all grown up now.
Such people are hard to draw into
conversation, but sometimes nonsense works, especially the right kind
of nonsense. Nonsense, despite its sometimes provocative nature, is
safe. No one can laugh at you if you venture an opinion on nonsense,
and no one can prove you wrong.
One question that sometimes comes up
is, “If you were to make a clone of yourself, and then have
intimate relations with that clone, would it be incest and
masturbation?” Nonsense, right?
Kinda.
It turns out that this conversation can
head into interesting avenues. One that is often unspoken but
pertinent is the idea that the labels we use affect the way we think
about things. Masturbation has become more or less acceptable, as
long as it's done in private and not talked about much; incest is
considered squicky in most cultures and a thing not to be done. So
if clone sex is masturbation, it's not to be discussed, but probably
okay when done in private. If it's incest, then it's a Bad Thing.
Two labels, same act, different responses.
As a discussion gets further into it,
other interesting aspects and question pop up. Issues of agency,
free will, and responsibility. Dominant-submissive relationships and
sexual power dynamics. The boundary conditions of personhood and
individuality. All of these have real world implications (try having
the right-to-choose/right-to-life debate or one on euthanasia without
at least touching on issues of personhood, or without considering
agency and the lack thereof), and probably ought to be discussed by
everyday people.
So my philosophizing friends, fear not
nonsense!
