Sexual Ethics, Marriage and Family as Enslavement or a Refuge of True Freedom? An Analysis of the Defense of Marriage and Family in the Writings of Gilbert Keith Chesterton Cover Image

Etyka seksualna, małżeństwo i rodzina jako zniewolenie czy ostoja prawdziwej wolności? Analiza obrony małżeństwa i rodziny w pismach Gilberta Keitha Chestertona
Sexual Ethics, Marriage and Family as Enslavement or a Refuge of True Freedom? An Analysis of the Defense of Marriage and Family in the Writings of Gilbert Keith Chesterton

Author(s): Ewa Laskowska
Subject(s): Cultural history, Ethics / Practical Philosophy, 19th Century Philosophy, Contemporary Philosophy, Family and social welfare
Published by: Wydawnictwo Naukowe Uniwersytetu Papieskiego Jana Pawła II w Krakowie
Keywords: Chesterton; cultural revolution; marriage; family; sexual ethics;

Summary/Abstract: The cultural revolution proceeds through history bringing liberation to the oppressed man. After liberating him from the oppression of the social class, it proclaims liberation from cultural norms, sexual ethics, unbreakable marriage, the difficulties caused by having a family, and even the liberation of a person from his or her own specific gender. But is it really a liberation? According to Gilbert Keith Chesterton, who witnessed the beginnings of social changes that took place at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, the revolution in manners may lead to a more sophisticated form of bondage – the bondage of the mind. The article examines the defense of sexual ethics, marriage and family as presented by Chesterton in his writings, trying to answer the questions: can Chesterton’s voice be relevant and intriguing today; can it complement the present discussion with a new point of view. The article indicates that the writer changes the perspective. He points that it is not Catholic sexual ethics, the indissolubility of marriage and the family that enslave man. But the constant changes, sexual freedom and divorce lead to the weakening of human will and intellectual enslavement. Because true freedom is hidden in a non-obvious and paradoxical way precisely in adherence to sexual ethics, a stable marriage and family, which are not only Christian but also extremely rational ideals.

  • Issue Year: 2021
  • Issue No: 53
  • Page Range: 57-71
  • Page Count: 15
  • Language: Polish