If pedophilia is a sexual orientation, now what?
by Denny Burk:
I have written in this space before about the idea that pedophilia is a sexual orientation, that it’s just another element of human sexual diversity not to be condemned but understood and sympathized with. We are now at the next stage of normalization. Indeed, the DSM-V already recognizes pedophilia as a sexual orientation (p. 698). But now we have a full-length academic book arguing the same: Pedophilia and Adult-Child Sex: A Philosophical Analysis, by Stephen Kershnar.
In this book, Kershnar questions whether pedophilia should be considered a mental disorder and/or morally wrong. His argument is that it can only be considered a mental disorder if and only if two conditions are met: (1) if the condition causes harm and (2) if the harm results from a dysfunction in a mental mechanism. Kershnar contends that pedophilia is a “natural function” with an “evolutionary explanation.” Thus it does not meet the second criterion. He further argues that pedophilia doesn’t harm the pedophile and that it does not necessarily harm a “willing” child. So pedophilia doesn’t clearly violate the first criterion either (pp. xviii-xix).
If you think it sounds outlandish that pedophilia might be normalized in this way, you wouldn’t be alone. Most people feel moral revulsion at the prospect of such a thing. But this book appears to be questioning the “ick factor” associated with pedophilia. Is the “ick factor” just an aesthetic preference or an intuition about a moral absolute? If it’s just an aesthetic preference, then it can’t always in every case be wrong. At least that’s the logic. The author writes:
My analysis simply provides reason to reject the general condemnation of adult-child sex… It also allows that some adult-child sex, perhaps even some in the real world, is not wrong and does not involve vicious or blameworthy adults (p. xix).
I saw this book noted by Princeton law professor Robbie George, who had this to say about the book on his Facebook page:
An academic philosophical defense of “adult-child sex” invoking standard liberal assumptions and principles. We’re now on that familiar highway going from “the conservatives are scaremongering” to “there’s nothing wrong with that, so live and let live” to “you’re a bigot for not approving.” Let’s revisit this in 3-5 years to see where we are.
Some might wish to dismiss Dr. George’s concerns as alarmist. But are they really? It seems that the moral argument is pretty straightforward and inevitable given what most people already believe about sexual orientation.
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