Abstract
Although incest (i.e., sex between siblings or between parents and offspring) is universally abhorred (per the Westermarck effect), cousin marriage (consanguineous unions) is only rejected by some cultures. Although in some Western countries, and especially in the United States, there is extensive legislation against cousin marriage, this has not always been historically the case. The negative attitudes towards cousin marriage in the West actually have a long history, and non-medical factors (religion, politics, economics, demography) have played a role in this regard. However, by the mid-19th Century, the stand against cousin marriage was medicalized. Even though ultimately medical studies have proven that cousin marriage is not particularly dangerous, negative attitudes towards it persist. This article approaches this problem from a historical and philosophical perspective.
Translated title of the contribution | The medicalization of cousin marriage in the 19th century: Historical and philosophical approaches |
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Original language | Spanish |
Pages (from-to) | 71-91 |
Number of pages | 21 |
Journal | Revista de Filosofia (Venezuela) |
Volume | 38 |
Issue number | 97 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 2021 |
Keywords
- 19 Century
- Cousin marriage
- Incest
- Medicalization
- Politics
- Religion
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Philosophy