Part searing examination part call to arms-a bold case against modern sexual ethics from
young Washington Post columnist Christine Emba. For years now modern-day sexual ethics has
held that "anything goes" when it comes to sex-as long as everyone says yes and does so
enthusiastically. So why even when consent has been ascertained are so many of our sexual
experiences filled with frustration and disappointment even shame? The truth is that the
rules that make up today's consent-only sexual code may actually be the cause of our sexual
malaise-not the solution. In Rethinking Sex reporter Christine Emba shows how consent is a
good ethical floor but a terrible ceiling. She spells out the cultural historical and
psychological forces that have warped our idea of sex what is permitted and what is
considered "safe." In visiting critical points in recent years-from #MeToo and the Aziz Ansari
scandal to the phenomenal response to "Cat Person"-she reveals how a consent-only view of sex
has hijacked our ability to form authentic and long-lasting connections exposing us further to
chronic isolation and resentment. Reaching back to the wisdom of thinkers like Thomas Aquinas
and Andrea Dworkin and drawing from sociological studies interviews with college students
and poignant examples from her own life Emba calls for a more humane philosophy one that
starts with consent but accounts for the very real emotional mental social and political
implications of sex-even she argues if it means saying no to certain sexual practices or
challenging societal expectations altogether. More than a bold reassessment of modern norms
Rethinking Sex invites us to imagine what it means to will the good of others and in turn
attain greater affirmation fulfillment and satisfaction for ourselves.
