Sex Ed Continues in Philosophy of Love and Sexuality Class

Kendra Campbell/Staff Writer

Is consent really sufficient for permissible sex, or are motivations relevant? This isn’t exactly a question most students expect with their morning coffee when they log onto their online class,  checking for new assignments.

Not all students log onto their online classes and discuss the questions around sex and consent.

For the PHM 4020 Love and Sexuality class, one of the first questions students are asked is if consent is really sufficient for permissible sex, or are motivations relevant?

The question is asked in the beginning of the semester and it starts the beginnings of discussions around sex, its social preconceptions and is set in an academic setting to normalize the conversation.

PHM 4020 looks at the ideas and notions behind society’s understanding of sex and relationships and tries to analyze it with various sources that will support or counter-argue them.

“For students who have never taken a philosophy course before, they will get a focused introduction to the field,” said Laurie Shrage, the professor of the course.

Shrage started teaching the course at FIU in 2019 and has over three decades of experience in teaching classes similar to this one at other universities around the country.

She said that students will gain knowledge to help them understand topics like sex education, sexual harassment and the decriminalization of prostitution.

Shrage understands that some students might be uncomfortable discussing such topics with peers that they might only know for about four months.

She said that the online class allows for a barrier for her students to digest the material without the added pressure of physically sitting in a class of students that might judge each other’s comments.

“We tend to cover issues in a more general and abstract way, so students do not need to share personal information. They can take a moment to edit their discussion comments and replies before speaking,” she said.

The Department of Philosophy understands that certain classes can be mentally overwhelming for some people, especially if they had specific experiences with the very things being discussed in the course.

They advise any student looking into the Philosophy of Love and Sexuality class, and any related course, to refrain from signing up if they believe certain subject matters pertaining to sex will stir up uncomfortable emotions.

For the students that do decide to take the course, detailed guidelines will be given about what subject matters will not be discussed, such as child pornography.

The course does not ask anyone to share personal information, as the class will cover topics in an abstract and general way.

Philosophy is a field that is often overlooked in terms of everyday importance, but Shrage believes that it’s important to question what we think about the world around us.

“This is an important skill, whether we are discussing theories about sexual attraction or global warming,” said Shrage.

With elections slowly coming upon us and topics like abortion are on the ballot, professors of philosophy, like Shrage, want to make sure that their students know how to have thorough evidence-based arguments before they run to the voting polls.