Summary Of Between Consenting Adults 'By Onora O' Neill

In Onora O’Neill’s article, “Between consenting adults”, she examines different ideals of using others in morally problematic ways. She argues that using people is using them as a means to an end and treating them in ways that they do not consent to. I believe that she focuses on using examples from the economic and sexual perspective, so that she can make her illustrations more specific and easy to understand, but she fails to fully show the clear limits of consent.
O’Neill argues that to understand these ideals, we must view people not just as consenting adults but also as unique men and women with the capabilities to consent to or dismiss certain suggestions. In one ideal, she examines the use of a personal tone and manner when dealing with other people. She believes that adding a personal touch when interacting with others might help us not to use them. Without a certain tone and manner, we are in a sense indifferent toward the other, and
The first difficulty arises because we cannot tell what constitutes consent. She insists that because we cannot tell the limits of consent. Her point is that since we do not know what constitutes consent, many contracts, maybe even marriages, could be voided if there was any type of pressure of misinterpretation involved. The second difficulty arises when the consent given does not match the action it permits. A good example of this is employees being exploited no matter who they work for. They give their consent to work for their employer, but they do not give their consent to be exploited and coerced for profits. The third difficulty arises when the ability to consent is impaired. When a person is intoxicated or under strong medications that impair their judgement, so it is immoral to try to get their consent. In these three difficulties, we see what not knowing the limits of consent could