I’ve finally got time to get back to my post from last week entitled ‘Pick a Side‘. That was all about the morals and ethics of certain kinky activities. Is it reasonable to cast some kinks as wrong or bad, while falling back on the argument of ‘as long as its consensual adults, its OK’Â for other kinks?
I got some interesting comments, which prompted me to think more on the issue, and come up with a thought experiment. Let’s call it ‘The Two Kinster problem.’
Mistress Mary and Submissive Sam, both risk aware consensual adult kinksters, enter their own deserted, well equipped private playspace and close the door behind them. An hour later they emerge sweaty, breathless and happy. They both tell you that they had a great time, and you ask them what they did. At this point, is there anything they can say that’ll make you think they did something ethically or morally wrong?
There’s obviously no incorrect answer. I’m just curious what answers or comments readers might have to the question.
When it comes to philosophical questions, I only know of one famous philosopher with a femdom connection – Aristotle. I’ve covered the story of him and Phyllis previously. This particular image of them is by the French painter Étienne Jeaurat.
Nope.
Well, assuming they hadn’t secreted a third, unwilling partner inside the dungeon beforehand, I guess the only thing you could disapprove of would be if what they did in the room would detrimentally affect someone else or made it more likely for them to do something ethically or morally wrong in future. So, if Sam is there having lied to his partner or Mary is there expecting to extort money from Sam in the future as a result of their activities then certainly their behaviour is unethical. If as a result of his beating Sam can’t sit down for three weeks and loses his job so that he can’t support his family then he has done something morally wrong.
Freddie,
What you explained will hurt the sub’s family, so I dont think it counts. What if the Domme tells the sub that the only way to fulfill his servitude is for him to take his life? what if She tells him to permanently maim himself? Sell his kidney so the Domme can upgrade her car? or she asks him to give up his health insurance? go homeless, panhandle and eat from the garbage bin?
I would consider all of these morally/ethically questionable.
Hi Maral – Thanks for the thoughtful comment. I really should have added a clarifying line about them going one their way to live happily with no long term ill-effects. It’s really not intended as a question with a hidden aspect that subverts the basic idea. i.e. If no harm is done, and nobody is around to observe them, can anything be unethical or immoral?
Anyway, thanks again for stopping by to comment. I’m going to write a follow-up post or two in the next day or so, where I should be able to dig more deeply into this.
-paltego
Freddie – Thanks for the comment. As I said to Maral, I probably should have added a qualifying clause that says everyone goes on their way and lives happily ever after. It’s really about what can happen in that space at that time between two people. But it turns out these theoretical questions are harder to write correctly than I thought :).
I’ll put up some follow-up thoughts in the next day or so. Cheers for stopping by.
-paltego
Considering the space is closed: no, nobody else is affected, and they are happy.