Philosophy Paper on Morality and Polygamy
Morality and Polygamy
There are many people opposed to the concept of polygamous marriages. Polygamy is legal in some countries, such as Iran and Saudi Arabia, but illegal in others, such as the United States of America. Many have personal, religious, and/or cultural reasons to disagree with such practices, but is the practice of polygamy morally wrong, or is it acceptable? Some argue that it is wrong because of the negative consequences caused by such marriages; yet ignore successful polygamous marriages altogether. I do not agree that all polygamous marriages have negative consequences. I argue that the practice of consensual polygamy can be morally acceptable under these conditions; (1) All parties must be aware, in advance, of the arrangement they are entering into. (2) No one should be coerced into such marriages and must enter willingly. (3) All parties must approve of the new spouse(s) entering into the family. (4) All parties must have the option for divorce. The most common type of polygamous marriages is polygyny, where a man has multiple wives, as opposed to polyandry, where a woman has multiple husbands. Polygyny can be found in many Mormon and Islamic societies. Some cultures do not give the choice of monogamy to the women entering marriage and strip them of the right to choose. In some cases, the women enter seemingly monogamous relationships, only to discover that their husbands already had or have recently acquired other wives. Often times, the wives do not have any vote on whom can or cannot enter into the family. In Islamic cultures, divorce is not an option for many women unless the husband is the initiator. My argument is not for any of these types of situations but only the ones that possess the 4 conditions I have stated previously. Consensual polygamous marriages that allow the participating parties the freedom to enter and depart (as they please) do not violate the rights of individuals. These individuals are not
There are many people opposed to the concept of polygamous marriages. Polygamy is legal in some countries, such as Iran and Saudi Arabia, but illegal in others, such as the United States of America. Many have personal, religious, and/or cultural reasons to disagree with such practices, but is the practice of polygamy morally wrong, or is it acceptable? Some argue that it is wrong because of the negative consequences caused by such marriages; yet ignore successful polygamous marriages altogether. I do not agree that all polygamous marriages have negative consequences. I argue that the practice of consensual polygamy can be morally acceptable under these conditions; (1) All parties must be aware, in advance, of the arrangement they are entering into. (2) No one should be coerced into such marriages and must enter willingly. (3) All parties must approve of the new spouse(s) entering into the family. (4) All parties must have the option for divorce. The most common type of polygamous marriages is polygyny, where a man has multiple wives, as opposed to polyandry, where a woman has multiple husbands. Polygyny can be found in many Mormon and Islamic societies. Some cultures do not give the choice of monogamy to the women entering marriage and strip them of the right to choose. In some cases, the women enter seemingly monogamous relationships, only to discover that their husbands already had or have recently acquired other wives. Often times, the wives do not have any vote on whom can or cannot enter into the family. In Islamic cultures, divorce is not an option for many women unless the husband is the initiator. My argument is not for any of these types of situations but only the ones that possess the 4 conditions I have stated previously. Consensual polygamous marriages that allow the participating parties the freedom to enter and depart (as they please) do not violate the rights of individuals. These individuals are not
Cited: Brooks, Thom. "The Problem with Polygamy." Philosophical Topics 37.2 (Fall 2009): 109-20. Print. Strauss, Gregg. "Is Polygamy Inherently Unequal?" Ethics 122.3 (April 2012): 516-44. doi: 10.1086/664754 Vogel, Ursula. “Political Philosophers and the Trouble with Polygamy: Patriarchal Reasoning in Modern Natural Law.” History of Political Thought 12.2 (1991): 229-51. Print.