Is monogamy social setup or 'our nature'

[Smurf]

Well a few hundred thousand years of evolution and a lot of science disagree with you...

Ah yes, Evolution. Women have a lot of incentive towards monogamy I think since being attached to a man (the stronger the better) was their only way of ensuring survival. Granted, this reality hasn't existed in a really long time, but hey, evolution is slow, and I think the disposition is still there.

we are becoming a much LESS monogomous society.

Which is really really weird!

 

[Astronuc]

If anything, modern societies are more monogamous than those of the middle ages and earlier. My wife was pointing out that in the Germanic tribes, men sometimes wives (plural), concubines and mistresses - the number may have depended on the status of person, particular a warrior.

Karl der Grosse (Charlemagne) apparently had 5 wives (4 sequentially) and at least five concubines - all of whom produced 20 children.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charlemagne#Marriages_and_heirs


I was intrigued by a professor of sociology (a social anthropolygist) who asserted that serial monogamy is a form of polygamy (polygyny by males and polyandry by females).

 

[light_bulb]

i look at it like this, if two are willing to give into each other then you meet them up to the point where both are happy with the stalemate. plus everything else that's been said so far :!)

 

[SF]

Monogamy became popular when it was picked up by religion as a way of controling our sex life.
I'm interested, what's the history of poligamy in Judaism and Islam?

 

[Crosson]

In addition to polygyny and polyandry, I will introduce into the thread the term 'polyamory' to mean a form of polygamy in which a group of people are mutual spouses.

I think we choose monogamy because polyamory is too difficult to do properly. Love and attention take a lot of an individuals energy, and I have found myself so far incapable of behaving as I should in even a two-person relationship.

I can readily imagine a female who acts a certain way such that I would be delighted to be one of her husbands. Who wouldn't want to have a spouse who is superior to themself, but who is not bitter as they have been granted a freedom that they in this case deserve?

 

[arildno]

Harald Hairfair, as portrayed by Snorri, had at least 4 or 5 wives some at the same time.
Apart from marriage used as a coupling of noble dynasties, the institution of marriage had little else hold on individuals.

For example, as long as the female was of reasonably good standing, EACH child had a legitimate inheritance claim on its father.
This caused a number of problems, since "bastard" children of kings had an equally valid claim on the throne as the ones born in "wedlock".

 

[Tosh]

I am not going to give explanations as to what I think best, mostly questions and statements (some of them are leading), but I ask you to think over them.

Polyandry vs. Polygamy
- Which spouse is generally more likely to commit adultery?
- Who undergoes pregnancy for 9 months and therefore becomes quite dependent during that period? Would that cause problems for another partner(s) who isn't the father of the child? During pregnancy there clearly isn't mutual input into the relationship, but it is worth it for your own child (or another man's child but only if they are not still together!).
- Watch a chat show (actually, don't!), you will see the concept of polyandry gone wrong, where people call for a DNA test to sort out the child's need for their father...and FUNDING has to be someone's legal responsibility for society to function. Unless
- Can we leave children to fend for themselves from birth?
- "Remove children from the argument, we have no need to procreate because we just live our lives having protected sex and we will be all fine and dandy, and have a party of a time, because we only live once so let's make the most of it. There is no personal benefit because they are purely reliant on us anyway" Reality: many have the urge to have children. Heavy partying-drugs-no aims lifestyle isn't what it is made out to be.
- Whose child is it? Polyandry vs. Polygamy, you always know the woman but not always the man!
- People only find it interesting to watch other peoples affairs and adultery on TV and know the gossip about everyone, they don't consider if it was their own marriage at stake. Providing for all desires (like="are aroused by")
- Some people want to hurt others
- Some people 'like' animals
- Some people 'like' children
- Children can't choose if their parents commit adultery

Free communities e.g. 60s India - This describes where partying, free dancing, drugs, sex are promoted and monogamous relationships discouraged, the most apparent concept of "freedom" (we don't want that sort of freedom)
- Children had little concept of parents and discipline
- Girls as young as 13 were slept without of wedlock. Not precisely raped but they were taught by their environment that there was nothing wrong with it. Is there anything wrong with it if religion is not taken into account? Why?
- We cannot escape death

Thanks for reading, I hope that was mentally stimulating in some way. Does that make you think differently at all?

 

[Smurf]

It's alive! It's ALIVE!

 

[Tosh]

It's alive! It's ALIVE!

I don't understand, how is that helpful to this thread?

 

[EnumaElish]

I think of this as social setup. I have not heard an argument that would show otherwise. Is there any research done on this?

Im asking in relation to our laws. (western). WHy is polygamy explicitly prohibited then? Isn't this pure religious demand?

Monogamy ---> social setup.
Polygamy ---> social setup.
Anything in between, or to the left, or to the right ---> social setup.

Physics Help and Math Help - Physics Forums > Philosophy & Social Science > Social Sciences ---> soc. sci. forum.