Reflections on sexual ethics

Ethics of sexuality is an exceptional field within the realm of ethics, due to its close connection with extra-ethical concepts, mainly religious ones. This fact differentiates sexual ethics from other ethical disciplines, such as ethics of business or eco-ethics. This is because, however one can talk about Christian or non-Christian (e.g. utilitarian) concepts within those ethics, there is no way one could talk about utilitarian ethics of sexuality: such ethics as a separate discipline simply do not exist. In my article I would like to formulate and justify values and principles relating to sexual relations. In order to do so, one has on one hand to consider the values formulated by Christian ethics, as well as the principles built on them – and, on the other hand, to look at arguments for including the sphere of sexuality within “lay” ethical reflexion. In my considerations as main research problem I pose the thesis: should sexual drive and the behaviours immediately resulting therefrom undergo ethical evaluation, or as a private sphere, they should remain outside the scope of interest of ethics.