PHIL 225 - J. Brown Kinsey (dir. Bill Condon, 2004) -
Essay Option 2 General Topic for this Essay: Love, Sex & Normativity Your Essay should specifically address these questions & key course concepts:
What is the importance of Kinsey's work for society in general? Specifically: what positive impact does it have? What problems does it cause? (Key concepts: sex & normativity)
Discuss Kinsey's marriage: what is the impact of his work on his marriage and what impact does his marriage have on his work?
Is his and Mac's marriage ‘normal'? (Key concepts: agape & eros) How does his work affect his family & professional relationships (again, positively and negatively)? (Key Concept: philia) ‘Viewing Guide' Use this worksheet to organize and structure your ideas about the film.
They are meant to help you think about the film in terms of the key concepts and readings in the course. However, be sure to directly address the above questions in your essay. (*for general instructions, see separate ‘Essay Assignment' document posted on Blackboard).
How was Kinsey's view of the world affected by his relationship with his father, Alfred Sr.?
Discuss their relationship. When Alfred Sr. tells Kinsey his ‘sexual history' near the end of the film, do you view his character any differently?
For example, Alfred Sr. preaches that people should "turn away from the flesh". Is religion sexually repressive?
Does agape have to conflict with eros? Kinsey tells ‘Mac' (Clara McMillen - his wife to be) that he sees marriage as "a lifetime partnership between equals." Is his view of marriage consistent with his approach to sexuality and his work? Why or why not? Throughout the film, Kinsey seems to display a critical stance towards ‘romantic love'. Do you think he is against ‘romance' in general? Is his point that sex and romance should not be confused with one another?
Despite what he says about romantic love, Kinsey certainly seems to love Mac. Very early in their marriage, Kinsey's love for Mac leads them to consult a Dr. about sex. This would seem to suggest that sex and love can be combined.
Discuss this with reference to the various formulations of eros we have read about. PHIL 225 - J. Brown Does a scientific view of sex make romance impossible? How does Kinsey's relationship with his own son mirror his relationship with his father?
Consider Kinsey's other children. How are they affected by his work? How does his work affect his family life? After sleeping with Clyde, Kinsey and Mac have a very important conversation (53:00). Kinsey: "It's not you, Mac. You're the best partner any man could have." Mac: "I'm just not enough, is that it?" [Kinsey claims that it's just ‘convention' that keeps Mac on acting for her sexual feelings for other men]. Mac: "No - it's our marriage; it's our children.
I don't sleep with other men because I love you." Kinsey: "Not all sex has to be sanctioned by love, enriched by emotion." Mac: "Stop using science to justify what you've done." Kinsey: "Mac...you're my girl. You always will be. The bond we have, the life we share. Sex is nothing compared to that." Analyze this conversation in terms of Kinsey and Mac's marriage. Do they have the same ideas about what marriage is? Consider the various aspects of eros and agape in this regard. Later, when Mac sleeps with Clyde, is Kinsey upset? Does he have any right to be?
At dinner, Dr. Gregg suggests that sex is largely about ‘feelings' and that Kinsey, trained as a zoologist, is not really qualified to study sex. Is he just confusing ‘sex' and ‘love'? Kenneth Braun is confused by Kinsey's disapproval of his sexual history. Braun suggests that Kinsey's view is that "everybody should do what they want." How does Kinsey respond? Near the end of the film, Clyde is angry with Kinsey and claims that to Kinsey they're "just lab rats." Why is Clyde so upset at this point? Kinsey says that "when it comes to love, we're all in the dark." Does he just mean science is ‘in the dark'? What does he mean?
Readings you might draw upon from the course text (you are not limited to these): Types of Love: Fromm, pp. 5-9; Soble, pp. 11-18 Philia: Frankfurt, pp. 125-132 Eros: Haslett, pp. 89-95; Blackburn, pp. 97-103 Sex & Normativity: SII, pp. 201-203; Tiefer, pp. 205-219; Nagel, pp. 191-200; Ruse, pp. 239-245 PHIL 225 - J.
Brown Some Links that Might Be Useful (go to Blackboard ‘Assignments and Assessment' link to click on these) IMDB Link: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0362269/ The Kinsey Institute (History) https://www.kinseyinstitute.org/about/history.html New York Times review (*Remember: you are NOT writing a review; this is just to give you some perspective on the film*) https://www.nytimes.com/2004/11/12/movies/12kins.html?_r=0