“We can’t allow gays to marry! What would be next? Incest?” Opponents of gay marriage frequently cite a common philosophical fallacy known as the "slippery slope", to relate same-sex unions to incestuous relations. According to the Purdue University writing center, a slippery slope is defined as “a conclusion based on the premise that if A happens, then eventually through a series of small steps, through B, C,..., X, Y, Z will happen, too, basically equating A and Z” (“Logical Fallacies”). However, we often ignore the true moral implications of these “next level” immoralities we would slip into. Incest, in nearly all modern cultures and faiths, is considered wrong, including the Catholic Church. But like so many facets of morality, incest is a topic that must be clearly looked at on all sides of the issue.
It is important at this point to establish that for the purposes of this moral comparison, incest will be defined as “sexual intercourse between persons so closely related that they are forbidden by law to marry” (Merriam-Webster Dictionary). Furthermore, with full knowledge that many incestuous relationships referenced in moral discussion are not entered into consensually, for the purposes of a more interesting moral argument, all incestuous relationships in this comparison shall be hypothetically consensual, meaning that all parties involved are willingly and knowledgably entering into relationships. Finally, because a frequent argument against incest calls upon the entirely possible risk of genetically deformed offspring, this comparison will hypothetically contain incestuous relationships that are aware of and take action against procreation. In summary, all incest in this paper is referring to entirely consensual relatio...
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If the new legislation were passed the law would also specify that incest is “sexual intercourse or sodomy” between “grandparent of the whole blood or half blood, aunt of the whole blood or the half blood, uncle of the whole blood or the half blood”(House Bill 534). The legislation also repeals “any laws or parts of laws in conflict” with the bill (House Bill 534). The most recent log in this bill’s status history was on April the second of 2015 when it was “House Withdrawn, Recommitted”(House Bill
Palmer, William. "Rhetorical Analysis." Discovering Arguments: An Introduction to Critical Thinking, Writing, and Style. Boston: Pearson Prentice Hall, 2012. 268-69. Print.
To begin, I witness these judgments, comparisons and assumptions being made almost every day amongst my family, leaving me astonished with human nature’s judgmental side. As the oldest child in my family, my brother is always expected to be
Milbauer, Barbara. The Law Giveth: Legal Aspects of the Abortion Controversy. Atheneum, New York: 1983.
Incest is not something that happens to “those people over there” the ones across town who don’t wash very often. It happens to all strata of society, at all economic levels, and in all ethnic groups.
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Alfred and Louisa Dorsets’ relationship is not literally incestuous; that is, they are not lovers. Rather, their seemingly incestuous relationship is symbolic of a much larger societal characteristic – a type of incest defined in much more expansive terms. Mr. and Miss Dorset engage in a different brand of incest known as “social incest.” Simply put, social incest is the inclination to only marry within one’s own class. In an interview with Barbara
Hinman, Lawrence. “Abortion: A Guide to the Ethical Issues.” May 13, 2010. University of San
Incest in A Thousand Acres invades all the other items: it is there, and is crucial for everything that happens, but it is hidden beneath the surface of appearances.
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Provide an outline of the body of the essay (do not include the introduction or conclusion): (1) Thesis, (2) Ethical arguments against abortion, (3) Adoption and Abortion, (4) Abortion proponents and the myth of rape/incest, (5) Psychological and Physiological dangers, (6-7) Position of various presidential candidates, (8) conclusion. For each point in the outline above, state why this section of the paper is important to the main point of the essay. If the point is unimportant, state why.