The Disease of Masturbation: Values and the concept of Disease by Engelhardt
Englhardt's article The Disease Of Masturbation is an example of the ways in which values impact society's definition of disease. I agree that it is possible that science is being, or has been, limited by the values within society. For science to conclude that masturbation causes such aliments as blindness and epilepsy it appears evident that science is being misguided by values of the time. I believe that science also realizes that values play a part in research conducted, otherwise there would be no need for blind and double blind studies. Blind studies are used to help eliminate bias brought on by the experimenter or the test subject.
In the eighteenth and nineteenth century masturbation was thought to produce the signs and symptoms of a dangerous disease: 'Disease is neither an objective entity nor a concept of a single definition, there is not, nor need be, one concept of disease (UWO, p.241).'; The problem with Englehardt's article is our health system is that of the biomedical model. The biomedical model does not recognize masturbation as a disease. It states that 'disease is a biological deviation from the norm that can be explained scientifically'; (Charland). Masturbation has not been proven to fit into either category. Masturbation may have been a deviation from the norm at one point in time, but I do not believe that it can be explained scientifically. Englehardt's article says that masturbation was the cause of such illnesses as blindness and vertigo. But how were these conclusions drawn? Were these conclusions scientific in nature or gathered according to the views and values of the times? Masturbation was turned into a disease, not with just somatic,
but psychological dimensions.
Tissot states that masturbating is even more debilitating than sex because of a loss of seminal fluid (1oz equals 40oz of blood). When seminal loss takes place in a position other than the recumbent position the effects are multiplied. Tissot successfully establishes that masturbation is associated with physical and mental maladies. Englehardt should stipulate how Tissot reaches this conclusion. There are also disagreements as to whether frequent sex is any different than masturbation. It is argued that the difference between masturbation and sex is the expenditure of nerve force that is compensated by the magnetism of the partner. Masturbation is worse because it is unnatural and therefore less satisfying.
...ital sexuality, orgasmic experiences, and masturbation practices. His findings uncovered the large difference between social attitudes and what people actually did. As a result, the Rockefeller foundation ended his funding. Kinsey’s health worsened because of no more fundings, people’s attacks, and the thought of his organization in the future. Another of Kinsey’s major accomplishments was a library located at Indiana University filled with sexual research.
There is no study indicating that females don’t have the same desires and need to explore themselves. In fact masturbation is a healthy and natural thing for both males and females.
Hyper Sexual addiction is a disorder that can be defined as a person having a habitually elevated sex drive, fantasies, and urges. Nevertheless, compared to other sexual addictions, this could be known as one of the most riskiest and dangerous addiction. Hyper Sexual Addiction has become more prevalent because of the infidelities amongst some celebrities and political figures. Sexual addiction has always existed, but because of technology and social media, people have become more aware of it. People who suffer from this disorder are like drug addicts that crave drugs; they think they can stop, but the urges are constantly there. According to An Elements Behavioral Health article (2016), for the sex addict, sexual activity provides an intense,
Medicalization describes the shift in authority concerning abnormal human conditions. Quirks previously seen as by-products of maturation began to see heavy examination and were classified under medical terms. As a result, the past few decades have seen an obscene number of compulsions and disorders deemed medical conditions, further exacerbating the unnecessary institutionalization of many harmless irregularities. This string coincides with the growing popularity of sex addiction and the debate over its inclusion in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM). The mere thought of such a neurotic desire potentially joining the DSM alongside major mental and learning disorders epitomizes the depths to which society has sunk in recognition of truly straining abnormalities. The medicalization of sex addiction demonstrates the lengths at which medical authority will go to inject another fabricated disease into the blood of society.
Klein, Marty. "You're addicted to what? Challenging the myth of sex addiction." The Humanist July-Aug. 2012: 31+. Gale Power Search. Web. 8 Apr. 2014
The most common definition of mental illness is a condition that affects a person’s behavior, mood, or thought processes. In the past century the field of psychology which studies and attempts to understand how humans think, has made tremendous progress and much needed improvement. Treatment of the mentally ill has also improved since Victorian times. As science becomes more advanced, further insight into the human mind is discovered and beliefs that used to hold true are disproved. The Victorian times are described as, “a period in which the sexual impulse was systematically repressed and deformed” (Rosenberg, Charles E 132). This is saying that during the Victorian times, anything related to sex was seen as immoral and was not allowed. Any
General health has been found to be a major determinant for the quality and quantity of sexual
Like many other forms of addiction, pornography possesses a very strong neurological correlation. Much of what we know today about the neurology of porn is based on what scientists refer to as the Coolidge Effect. The name––Coolidge––originates from the former president of the United States Calvin Coolidge. The story, being quite comedic, coincidentally has deep connections with the understanding of addiction today and the basis for the neurological process of porn. The story originates from a vacation the Coolidge’s took (during his time as president) to a chicken farm. A farmer working on the particular farm quickly picked up on some of the whimsical banter both the Coolidge’s shared with each other and showed Mrs. Coolidge a rooster that
When Jesus called His disciples, His invitation was simple. He invited them to follow Him. The same is true today. In Matthew 28, Jesus gave His last charge to His disciples, and the charge was simple. He called his followers to go and make disciples. Much effort has been placed by Christians to fulfill this charge, commonly referred to as the Great Commission. Jesus chose to fulfill the implementation of the New Covenant through 12 men who He called, appointed, and commissioned, and he only had a few short years to prepare them for the task (Willson, 1990). His methods were unconventional and were revolutionary for that time. His disciples were to be trained extensively by Jesus, living with Him for three years prior to His ascension. He taught about servant leadership and its meaning for both the leader and follower Matt. 20:25-28). From the beginning, Jesus put in place a careful plan, and an examination of His actions in the Gospels showed that Jesus left behind the pattern to be replicated. His methods, which included the incorporation of three different levels of discipleship, included His interaction with Peter, His closest three (Peter, James, and John), and finally the group of 12. This paper identified and analyzed the three levels of discipleship Jesus modeled, these discipleship methods were then measured against modern leadership theories, and Jesus’s level of involvement and interaction with his disciples were critiqued in light of these modern theories in an effort to determine the effectiveness of this approach.
Through my readings, I have come to realize that masturbation has been an issue which many educated philosophers have strongly focused on. Many people have questioned whether or not masturbation is considered moral or immoral. Although most philosophers saw masturbation under a foul light, Alan Soble was able to prove that masturbation was not completely corrupt.
A kind of sexual dysfunction that affect men is generally termed as erectile dysfunction or impotence. As a result, the person will not be able to develop or maintain an erection of the penis during sexual intercourse. The term and condition is familiar for most of the people in the current society. It can be considered as one of the main causes for infertility issues. Studies have also found another surprising fact that, worse erectile dysfunction may increase the risk of cardiovascular disease, heart failure, peripheral vascular disease and ischemic heart disease etc. All these tend to recommend an early test and diagnosis for mild and moderate levels of erectile dysfunction in individuals. Before that, it is vital that you must understand what is erectile dysfunction and how could you identify it.
Patrick Carnes, Ph.D., the first person to identify and treat this affliction, hypothesized sex addiction results from a person needing certain neuro-chemical changes (4). Everybody experiences certain neuro-chemical changes that make the physical act of sex feel pleasurable. A normal person produces this stimulus, attains the natural high, and is satisfied. An addict, however, uses this chemical to escape pain or seek relief from stress (4). This theory supports a nature argument because there is nothing a person can do about it. Their body creates an altered response to a completely normal act and fosters an uncontrollable need to experience sex. It is comparable to an alcoholic's reaction to alcohol (4). The sex addict needs this chemical to be released in order to desensitize themselves from their problems. This is not healthy, but i...
A vast amount of men and women suffer from some type of sexual dysfunction. Researchers have identified a number of factors that may contribute to or perpetuate sexual dysfunction, including, but not limited to, performance anxiety. Performance anxiety is defined as an obsession about the adequate pleasing of one’s partner during the act of sexual intercourse. Rather than focusing on the pleasurable benefits that one can receive from intercourse, the individual experiencing performance anxiety is focused on how well he or she is performing (McCabe, 2005). Oftentimes, someone who suffers from a sexual dysfunction experiences increased performance anxiety because he or she feels that the dysfunction inhibits performance, thus they think the sex is not satisfactory for their partner.
Pornography is becoming the most popular secret in all of America. Only 13.9% of young men don’t view pornography, and of those who do, 51% of male students and 32% of female students first viewed pornography before age 13 (Gilkerson). 21.3% of college males watch it daily or multiple times a day (Gilkerson).
This paper will not discuss the moral concerns of pornography, because though they exist, this portrayal is meant to be factual and not opinionated, and one cannot discuss morals without opinions. That said, this paper will address pornography as an addiction, and therefore a problem, when taken to certain extremities. Where these boundaries lie, however, will not be discussed; this will be left up to the reader to define.