Polygamy: is it moral?

[IglooDame]

I believe his point is that consensual oppression shouldn't be allowed. We don't allow people to voluntarily become slaves, for example.

On the contrary, I know of several people who have been allowed to voluntarily become slaves. What we don't do is legally enforce contracts that involve chattel slavery or homicide, but "consensual oppression" is a pretty broad brush and one that I have a front-row seat to on a daily basis.

Firstly, that's what polygamy means (as opposed to polyandry).

No, that's not what it means. You're confusing polygamy with polygyny.

However more importantly, excluding the endless combinations and recombinations that occur in the polyamory community in the west, polyandry only really occurs in some tribal and other traditional contexts. Polygamy, however, is very compatible with the patriarchy that constitutes most complex societies and is both far more common and, I'd argue, far more prone to abuse and exploitation and other power imbalances.

So what if you allow both polyandrous and polygynous marriages?

 

[LucyDuke]

On the contrary, I know of several people who have been allowed to voluntarily become slaves. What we don't do is legally enforce contracts that involve chattel slavery or homicide, but "consensual oppression" is a pretty broad brush and one that I have a front-row seat to on a daily basis.

Maybe that's the difference then. Do it all day if it's what gets you off, but the law isn't going to back it up.

 

[Neomega]

On the contrary, I know of several people who have been allowed to voluntarily become slaves. What we don't do is legally enforce contracts that involve chattel slavery or homicide, but "consensual oppression" is a pretty broad brush and one that I have a front-row seat to on a daily basis.

I envy you. Daily basis? I envy you.

 

[Terxpahseyton]

Of course polygamy raises many legal questions to which current law would have to be adjusted and that would take time and would mean years of struggles at many courts.
But in the end this is something which can be dealt with.
Moraly it absolutly has my blessing as there is no fundamentally moral aspect like kindness, honesty and so on with has to be broken by polygamy. And anything beyond that is in my opionion nothing but prudery others really shouldn't have to care about.

What about personel freedom. What about my right to bond myself to whom and with whom I want? What about equal rights? Sorry but don't see any generel concept of the Western world which hasn't become redundant already und would be opposed by polygamy.
Naturally I can not speak for any other cultural hemispheres.

I personelly don't whish to marry two women and most still wouldn't. But I don't like many thing as most people don't like many things. For instance coke zero or berets are just terrible if you ask me. But would never dream to want it banished just because of my personel dislike.

 

[exhile]

Polygamy is moral because it has happened in the past of multiple civilizations. Polygamy could or can happen today if it was socially acceptable to the majority but it isn't.

 

[Bill3000]

Polygamy is moral because it has happened in the past of multiple civilizations.

Genocide happened in the past of multiple civilizations too! Genocide is totally morally awesome!

You cannot derive an ought from an is.

 

[exhile]

Genocide happened in the past of multiple civilizations too! Genocide is totally morally awesome!

Governments who conduct genocide find it necessary to do so for the ultimate goal of achievement.

 

[Bill3000]

Governments who conduct genocide find it necessary to do so for the ultimate goal of achievement.

Governments can come up with any excuse for genocide they damn well want. It doesn't make it moral. Common sense, please.

 

[exhile]

Governments can come up with any excuse for genocide they damn well want. It doesn't make it moral. Common sense, please.

That's right, governments kill their own people for whatever purpose to achieve a certain goal. Common sense & no common sense exist and balance each other out.

Polygamy exists for a reason whether it is immoral or morale.

 

[Bill3000]

That's right, governments kill their own people for whatever purpose to achieve a certain goal. Common sense & no common sense exist and balance each other out.

Hi.

This is a thread about morals.
Morals are oughts.
You're dealing with (false) is's.
You cannot derive an ought from an is. It is fundamentally fallacious. Try a real argument.

 

[exhile]

This thread asks if polygamy is moral. I say it is moral because any could have more than one wife if they wanted to.

 

[Dachs]

This thread asks if polygamy is moral. I say it is moral because any could have more than one wife if they wanted to.

So yeah, David Hume, a dead fat man that I don't really like, came up with an eponymous guillotine some time ago that indicates that just because something exists, doesn't mean that thing ought to exist, or that there is any way to derive any sort or morality from the natural property of being.

 

[Bill3000]

This thread asks if polygamy is moral. I say it is moral because any could have more than one wife if they wanted to.

You said that it is moral "because it has happened in the past."
Do you even know what the word moral means?

So yeah, David Hume, a dead fat man that I don't really like

 

[exhile]

You said that it is moral "because it has happened in the past."
Do you even know what the word moral means?

Poligamy makes perfect sense. Those people in our past felt that having more than one wife was correct.

 

[Bill3000]

Poligamy makes perfect sense. Those people in our past felt that having more than one wife was correct.

So please, tell me why it is "correct" then.

 

[exhile]

Poligamy is correct for those that want many wives. It's good to have 2 or 3 wives during those times for whatever reason the situation was.

 

[Bill3000]

Poligamy is correct for those that want many wives. It's good to have 2 or 3 wives during those times for whatever reason the situation was.

That's not a reason, that's a description.

 

[exhile]

That's not a reason, that's a description.

Okay, why have one woman when you can have two or three.

 

[Bill3000]

Okay, why have one woman when you can have two or three.

Because it is an unequal relationship which makes women nothing more than property to be prized about like cattle.

 

[exhile]

Well, you may see polygamy in that sense but I see it another way. Women want to be the wives of a rich, powerful man who can support not just her but other women as well.