Consent to Sexual Relations

When does a woman give valid consent to sexual relations? When does her consent render it morally or legally permissible for a man to have sexual relations with her? Why is sexual consent generally regarded as an issue about female consent? And what is the moral significance of consent? These are some of the questions discussed in this important book, which will appeal to a wide readership in philosophy, law, and the social sciences. Alan Wertheimer develops a theory of consent to sexual relations that applies to both law and morality in the light of the psychology of sexual relations, the psychology of perpetrators, and the psychology of the victims. He considers a wide variety of difficult cases such as coercion, fraud, retardation, and intoxication. We can all agree that ‘no’ means ‘no’. This book suggests that the difficult question is whether ‘yes’ means ‘yes’.

• A magisterial and comprehensive survey of the philosophical ramifications of consent to sexual relations • Fully illustrated with examples and cases • Accessibly written: will appeal to lawyers and psychologists as well as philosophers

1. Introduction; 2. Law; 3. The psychology of sex; 4. The psychology of perpetrators; 5. The harm of rape; 6. The value of consent; 7. The ontology of consent; 8. Coercion; 9. Deception; 10. Competence; 11. Intoxication; 12. Sex and justice; Appendix.

\'… deals with some of the most complicated and controversial issues faced by lawyers and policy makers, and some of the most intimate problems faced by men and women together. If only for that reason, Consent to Sexual Relations is a book well worth reading.\' Modern Law Review