BDSM

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BDSM is most often used as a term to describe a range of sexual activities. However, it is also an approach to sex and to sex play. BDSM is a cumulation of other acronyms; B&D; standing for bondage and discipline, D/s; standing for dominance and submission, and S&M; standing for sadism and masochism. BDSM is not principally a clinical term used by health care professionals, rather it is more often used by people to describe their own sexual practices. “A very general definition might be that BDSM is a form of sexual expression that involves the willing and consensual exchange of power” (Silverberg). The words “willing” and “consensual” are vital, BDSM is not a term that describes any behavior that is forced or pressured. The most important …show more content…

However, if approaching the concept from a relativist point of view, considering that good and bad are based on many factors, it becomes clearer how an ethical argument can be made for the practice of BDSM. The most critical factor is consent; consent is a requisite/requirement, in BDSM therefore without consent it would be unethical. Subjectivists and individualists, believing it is only up to the individual themselves to decide what is good/bad, would have no opposition to the practice of …show more content…

However, when looking at the root words it becomes easier to distinguish the difference between the two. Morality, stemming from the Latin word mores or customs, is more about complying with social, cultural, or religious rules. Whereas ethics, stemming from the Greek ethos or character, is more about making the right choices. On this view, ethics embraces both intention and results. A deontologist, believing that acts are right because of good intentions (also duty, principle, and other generally good acts), may be able to provide an ethical argument for BDSM. A teleological approach to ethics, applying that an act is right when it produces a positive result, sheds light onto the benefits of a BDSM relationship, this is also how I view the subject. Behaving ethically in BDSM needs to always take a utilitarian approach, meaning doing ones “best to obtain a good result for everyone with a stake in your actions” (Stein). Also, negative utilitarianism, creating the least amount of unhappiness, is vital. I believe that the two go hand in hand when describing the ethical practices within

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