----- Original Message ----- From: "H. Curtiss Leung" <hncl at panix.com> To: <lbo-talk at lists.panix.com> Sent: Thursday, November 21, 2002 9:39 AM Subject: Adultery (was: Norm Coleman's interesting family situation)
> As long as we're talking hypotheticals, adultery does not necessarily
entail
> deceit: it simply means one member of a married pair is having sex with
> someone who is not their married partner. Adulterous relations,
therefore,
> could include ones where one married partner knows about the other's
> extramarital daliances.
Sure. But such adulterous relations are the exception and not the norm.
> If you want to restrict the discussion to situations where the partner
> having extramarital relations is deceiving the other,
I think that's reasonable. I see nothing wrong with truly open relationships, and I doubt anyone else on LBO does, either.
> and further stipulate that deceit is unacceptable,
In most sets of circumstances, I believe deceit is a net bad. Sometimes, though, to be honest and forthright would be morally repugnant.
> As far as deceit in intimate relations being _a priori_ bad, though,
> I have two words: surprise party.
I don't believe in a piori goods or bads.
-- Luke