The Intetionalist and Reductionist Theories of Sex - Essay Example

Experiencing the pleasure associated with sexual activity results in satisfaction of the human sexual desire. The reductionist account of sex is based on the premise of sexual desires being satisfied through sexual activity.

The intentionalist account of sex has been developed from the knowledge of interpersonal intetionalist which results in people engaging in sexual activity. As a theory opposing the reductionist account, this account is a result of the physical pleasure which occurs through contact with another person’s body. This commonly causes physical arousal, which is a normal occurrence when individuals have the intention of engaging in physical activity (Morgan, 2003). The intentionalist account commonly focuses on cases where pleasures are derived from the nature and appearances of the sexual partners. The existence of different perceptions regarding sexual pleasure remains the fundamental cause of the differences in sexual accounts. The intentionalist accounts of sex as mainly based on the assumption that individuals are driven by a desire to achieve physical satisfaction from sexual pleasure.

The Aristotelian understanding of the human mind has been utilized in seeking to understand the different accounts of sex. According to this understanding human desires are the cause of human actions, hence satisfaction of certain desires encourages individuals to engage in sexual activity. There is an existing marginal connection between the two accounts described within the article. The theory developed by Aristotle seeks to explain the moral psychology behind sexual activities by humans. The psychological element becomes the platform upon which the mental and physical elements meet, consequently presenting the connection between the two accounts, where the intetionalist is mental while the reductionist is physical. The individuality and independence of individuals, however, result in the existence of a discrepancy in the experience of pleasure.

Despite the existing discrepancies in the way sexual accounts portray sex the common element in sex remains sexual desires and pleasure achieved from engaging in sexual activity, for different reasons. Within the context of the reductionist account, the pleasure experienced during sexual activity becomes the motivating factor for engaging in sex. The article focuses on the aspect of the different accounts trying to offer explanations for the nature of sexual desire as experienced by humans. The interpersonal aspects of humans, however, become fundamental elements that complicate the understanding of how sexual desires are achieved. The element of sexual morality remains based on the establishment of desires and the means through which these desires are achieved. While it is difficult to prove that sexual pleasure is only based on physical satisfaction, it is evident that satisfaction in sexual activity comes from these desires. Read More