Abstract
Even in secular contexts, marriage retains sacramental connotations. Yet what is its moral significance? This book examines its morally salient features - promise, commitment, care, and contract - with surprising results. In Part One, "De-Moralizing Marriage," essays on promise and commitment argue that we cannot promise to love and so wedding vows are (mostly) failed promises, and that marriage may be a poor commitment strategy. The book contends with philosophical defenses of marriage to argue that marriage has no inherent moral significance. Further, privileging marriage sustains amatonormative discrimination - discrimination against non-amorous or non-exclusive caring relationships such as friendships, adult care networks, or polyamorous groups. The discussion raises issues of independent interest for the moral philosopher such as the limits of promising and nature of commitment. The central argument of Part Two, "Democratizing Marriage," is that liberal reasons for recognizing same-sex marriage also require recognition of polyamorists, polygamists, friends, urban tribes, and adult care networks. Political liberalism requires the disestablishment of monogamous amatonormative marriage. Under public reason, a liberal state must refrain from basing law solely on moral or religious doctrines; but only such doctrines could furnish reason for restricting marriage to male-female couples or romantic dyads. Restrictions on marriage should be minimized. But there is a strong rationale for minimal marriage: social supports for care are a matter of fundamental justice. Part Two responds to challenges posed by property division, polygyny, and parenting, builds on feminist, queer, and anti-racist critiques of marriage, and argues for the compatibility of liberalism and feminism.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Publisher | Oxford University Press |
| Number of pages | 256 |
| ISBN (Print) | 9780199933228, 9780199774142 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - May 24 2012 |
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Keywords
- Amatonormativity
- Care
- Care networks
- Commitment
- Feminism
- Liberalism
- Marriage
- Polygamy
- Promises
- Same-sex marriage
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Arts and Humanities(all)
Cite this
Minimizing Marriage : Marriage, Morality, and the Law. / Brake, Elizabeth.
Oxford University Press, 2012. 256 p.Research output: Book/Report › Book
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TY - BOOK
T1 - Minimizing Marriage
T2 - Marriage, Morality, and the Law
AU - Brake, Elizabeth
PY - 2012/5/24
Y1 - 2012/5/24
N2 - Even in secular contexts, marriage retains sacramental connotations. Yet what is its moral significance? This book examines its morally salient features - promise, commitment, care, and contract - with surprising results. In Part One, "De-Moralizing Marriage," essays on promise and commitment argue that we cannot promise to love and so wedding vows are (mostly) failed promises, and that marriage may be a poor commitment strategy. The book contends with philosophical defenses of marriage to argue that marriage has no inherent moral significance. Further, privileging marriage sustains amatonormative discrimination - discrimination against non-amorous or non-exclusive caring relationships such as friendships, adult care networks, or polyamorous groups. The discussion raises issues of independent interest for the moral philosopher such as the limits of promising and nature of commitment. The central argument of Part Two, "Democratizing Marriage," is that liberal reasons for recognizing same-sex marriage also require recognition of polyamorists, polygamists, friends, urban tribes, and adult care networks. Political liberalism requires the disestablishment of monogamous amatonormative marriage. Under public reason, a liberal state must refrain from basing law solely on moral or religious doctrines; but only such doctrines could furnish reason for restricting marriage to male-female couples or romantic dyads. Restrictions on marriage should be minimized. But there is a strong rationale for minimal marriage: social supports for care are a matter of fundamental justice. Part Two responds to challenges posed by property division, polygyny, and parenting, builds on feminist, queer, and anti-racist critiques of marriage, and argues for the compatibility of liberalism and feminism.
AB - Even in secular contexts, marriage retains sacramental connotations. Yet what is its moral significance? This book examines its morally salient features - promise, commitment, care, and contract - with surprising results. In Part One, "De-Moralizing Marriage," essays on promise and commitment argue that we cannot promise to love and so wedding vows are (mostly) failed promises, and that marriage may be a poor commitment strategy. The book contends with philosophical defenses of marriage to argue that marriage has no inherent moral significance. Further, privileging marriage sustains amatonormative discrimination - discrimination against non-amorous or non-exclusive caring relationships such as friendships, adult care networks, or polyamorous groups. The discussion raises issues of independent interest for the moral philosopher such as the limits of promising and nature of commitment. The central argument of Part Two, "Democratizing Marriage," is that liberal reasons for recognizing same-sex marriage also require recognition of polyamorists, polygamists, friends, urban tribes, and adult care networks. Political liberalism requires the disestablishment of monogamous amatonormative marriage. Under public reason, a liberal state must refrain from basing law solely on moral or religious doctrines; but only such doctrines could furnish reason for restricting marriage to male-female couples or romantic dyads. Restrictions on marriage should be minimized. But there is a strong rationale for minimal marriage: social supports for care are a matter of fundamental justice. Part Two responds to challenges posed by property division, polygyny, and parenting, builds on feminist, queer, and anti-racist critiques of marriage, and argues for the compatibility of liberalism and feminism.
KW - Amatonormativity
KW - Care
KW - Care networks
KW - Commitment
KW - Feminism
KW - Liberalism
KW - Marriage
KW - Polygamy
KW - Promises
KW - Same-sex marriage
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UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=84880042873&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199774142.001.0001
DO - 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199774142.001.0001
M3 - Book
SN - 9780199933228
SN - 9780199774142
BT - Minimizing Marriage
PB - Oxford University Press
ER -