The unstated premise that nature is nice lies behind many…
““The unstated premise that nature is nice lies behind many of the objections to the Darwinian theory of human sexuality. Carefree sex is natural and good, it is assumed, so if someone claims that men want it more than women do, it would imply that men are mentally healthy and women neurotic and repressed. That conclusion is unacceptable, so the claim that men want carefree sex more than women do cannot be correct. Similarly, sexual desire is good, so if men rape for sex (rather than to express anger towards women), rape would not be as evil. Rape is evil; therefore the claim that men rape for sex cannot be correct. More generally, what people instinctively like is good, so if people like beauty, beauty would be a sign of worth. Beauty is not a sign of worth, so the claim that people like beauty cannot be correct. These kinds of arguments combine bad biology (nature is nice), bad psychology (the mind is created by society), and bad ethics (what people like is good). Feminism would lose nothing by giving them up.””
About This Quote
This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.
Assuming that natural equals good leads to flawed arguments about gender, sexuality, and beauty, ignoring complexity and ethics.
In simple terms: Natural ≠ good; assumptions cause bad reasoning.
Key Takeaway
Question naturalistic assumptions.
Themes
gender
ethics
biology
philosophy
logic
Mood
critical
thoughtful
Type
philosophical
analytical
When to use this quote
- Policy debates
- education curricula
- media analysis
- personal belief formation
Key Concepts
Naturalistic fallacy
social constructivism
ethical reasoning
Questions to Reflect On
- How do you evaluate claims about what is natural?
- What ethical frameworks can replace “nature is nice”?
A Different Perspective
Complex issues often resist simple natural‑good equations.