---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Most moral philosophers consciously or…"
description: "\"“Most moral philosophers consciously or unconsciously assume the essential correctness of our cultural sexual code — family, monogamy, continence, the ..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7e1/robert-a-heinlein-209_cybersecurity_most-moral-philosophers-consciously-or-u_1586417.jpg"
---

#  Most moral philosophers consciously or unconsciously…

![“Most moral philosophers consciously or unconsciously assume the essential correctness of our cultural sexual code — family, monogamy, continence, the postulate of privacy, ... restriction of intercourse to the marriage bed, etcetera. Having stipulated our cultural code as a whole, they fiddle with…” quote by Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7e1/robert-a-heinlein-209_cybersecurity_most-moral-philosophers-consciously-or-u_1586417.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7e1/robert-a-heinlein-209_cybersecurity_most-moral-philosophers-consciously-or-u_1586417.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7e1/robert-a-heinlein-209_cybersecurity_most-moral-philosophers-consciously-or-u_1586417.jpg)

> ““Most moral philosophers consciously or unconsciously assume the essential correctness of our cultural sexual code — family, monogamy, continence, the postulate of privacy, ... restriction of intercourse to the marriage bed, etcetera. Having stipulated our cultural code as a whole, they fiddle with details - even such piffle as solemnly discussing whether or not the female breast is an "obscene" sight! But mostly they debate how the human animal can be induced or forced to obey this code, blandly ignoring the high probability that the heartaches and tragedies they see all around them originate in the code itself rather than the failure to abide by the code.””

[Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

The author argues that many moral philosophers accept cultural sexual norms without questioning them, then focus on minor details while overlooking that the norms themselves cause much suffering.

**In simple terms:** Philosophers accept sexual rules, ignore their harmful effects.

Key Takeaway

Question the assumptions behind cultural sexual norms.

Themes

ethics culture sexuality philosophy social critique

Mood

critical thoughtful provocative

Type

analytical philosophical

When to use this quote

- marriage counseling
- sex education policy
- personal relationships
- legal reforms on sexual rights

Key Concepts

normative ethics cultural relativism institutional critique

Questions to Reflect On

- What cultural sexual norms cause the most harm?
- How can we responsibly critique long‑standing traditions?

A Different Perspective

The argument may overstate the role of cultural code versus individual agency.

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[Correctness Cultural](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/correctness-cultural-6003701/) [Cultural Code](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cultural-code-5710412/) [Cultural Sexual](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cultural-sexual-6003700/) [Cybersecurity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cybersecurity/) [Human animal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/human-animal/) [Moral Philosophers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moral-philosophers-2818960/) [Philosophy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/philosophy/) [Programming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/programming/) [Sexual Code](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sexual-code-5723764/)

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