The World in Black and White: Repressive Hypothesis (Sexual Ethics)

Friday, May 15, 2009

Repressive Hypothesis (Sexual Ethics)

The Repressive Hypothesis is drawn from the middle ages and the rise of the bourgeoisie in society, it turns the act of sex into a secret bond shared only in marriage between a man and a woman. All other sexual discourse was considered despicable (evil) and indecent violations that were to be repressed in society.
Churches have been a part of Western society for centuries. Religion has gone to great effort to make sex part of the unspoken word. Most children know enough about religion growing up to know not only that Mary was a virgin when she gave birth to Jesus but, that she became pregnant by immaculate conception. Everyone knows too that nuns live in abstinence once they decide to live a life of worship. This all makes the very subject of sex seem rather taboo (although according to Foucault this would later become a part of regulation). I mean, we go to church to confess our sins and we know that lusting over sins of the flesh is a sin you must confess to God. Sleeping with someone when your not married especially if it's the opposite sex is a big one. Masturbation is another one. Even looking at a naked women (and later dirty magazines or watching dirty movies) is confessed. All of these things are met with acts of contrition, or a certain amount of prayers you must say asking to be forgiven. Still, you are not forgiven yet, you still must receive communion on Sunday before the Lord blesses you with forgiveness. Religion and societies continual need to understand why humans do the things they do. Also the need to punish people who go against the rules most of us agree to live by.
All of these things helped to create a Western world that at first glance seems to be repressing sexuality, but in reality is regulating it as a way of controling people. The church gave away this secret long ago when it began letting the bourgeoisie buy their way out of the sins they committed. All of a sudden, the fact that you were rich meant you could commit as many sins as you wanted. It became abundantly clear that the rules were not equal for everybody.
In the film, “The 40-Year-Old Virgin” the model of sex is anything but repressed. His friends at work make it there personal mission to get the man layed. The whole notion of a man being 40-years-old and not having sex yet is unheard of in this day and age. Although, I think for a woman it would be unheard of at a much younger age than that. A 21-year-old female virgin is almost extinct. Still, there are some brides who are virgins when they marry. Pricilla Presley claimed to be a virgin when she married Elvis. Although, she admits getting very close.
I think Foucault calls the “Repressive Hypothesis” an indispensible fable because it has been years of conditioning the minds of the people that play by the rules that is what is normal. It becomes hard to fight against the constant conditioning that is taught to us as children and while we grow up from our teachers and parents.