The Mismeasure of Desire: The Science, Theory, and Ethics of Sexual Orientation (Ideologies of Desire) | 
| Author: Edward Stein
Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
Category: Book
Buy New: $38.00
Rating:  14 reviews
Media: Paperback
Pages: 400
Number Of Items: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.4
Dimensions (in): 9.2 x 6 x 1.1
ISBN: 0195142446
Dewey Decimal Number: 155
EAN: 9780195142440
ASIN: 0195142446
Publication Date: May 17, 2001
Shipping: Eligible for Super Saver Shipping
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
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| Editorial Reviews:
Amazon.com
Is there a "gay gene"? What if there is? And what does "gay" mean, anyway? Philosopher and queer studies instructor Edward Stein asks these questions and far more, delving deeply into our feelings about gender and sexuality in The Mismeasure of Desire, a deep but accessible examination of how we classify and study sexual orientation. Stein is that rare postmodern philosopher who explains his terms simply and strives for clarity in thought and prose; readers scared off by his background in the humanities will find his book as sensible as any science text. He divides his subjects into sections on metaphysics, science, and ethics, each building on the last. First turning his attention to the construction of gender and desire, Stein takes great pains to define his terms so that they satisfy our intuitions yet maintain the rigor required of them by his philosophical operations. This territory has been explored fairly well over the last 30 years, but he finds new paths well worth further pursuit. Next he examines the social and biological research pertaining to sexual orientation; not surprisingly, he finds much fault therein, as much (if not all) of it rests on thoroughly disreputable and homophobic foundations. These assumptions are brought out of the closet and don't stand up well to scrutiny, lending power to Stein's concluding ethical arguments that we should at the very least demand more of researchers looking into sexual orientation, and perhaps curtail such research altogether. The powerful, heady ideas in The Mismeasure of Desire will keep you thinking for years to come. --Rob Lightner
Product Description
In recent years scientific research and popular opinion have favored the idea that sexual orientations are determined at birth. In this book, philosopher and legal theorist Edward Stein investigates scientific research on sexual orientation and shows that it is deeply flawed. He argues that this research assumes a picture of sexual desire that reflects unquestioned cultural stereotypes rather than cross-cultural scientific facts, and that it suffers from serious methodological problems. He then asks whether sexual orientation is amenable to empirical study and if it is useful for our understanding of human nature to categorize people based on their sexual desires. Perhaps most importantly, Stein examines some of the ethical issues surrounding such research, including gay and lesbian civil rights and the implications of parents trying to select or change the sexual orientation of their children.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 9 more reviews...
Seriously? Anglo-American Philosophy? November 24, 2007
D. S. Heersink (San Francisco)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
Stein claims his training and background is in Anglo-American analytic philosophy, which serves as his "methodology" and template. The bibliography gives truth to that lie. Stein is near devoid of modern analytic philosophers, notably John Searle, perhaps the most prominent philosopher alive. And given Stein's "strong" social constructionist stance (versus Searle's "weak"), this omission is not slight. Indeed, the imbalance affects the entire work and distorts every nuance and angle.
Nevertheless, for all its distortion and bias, it is well-presented and well-argued -- at least, for the topics it "allows" for consideration. I assure Dr. Stein that many biologists do not agree with him; many philosophers do not agree with him (particularly his misuse of "ethics") for legal views; and MIT is hardly a paragon of "analytic" philosophy like Harvard, Berkeley, and Oxford, but the "methodology" is still evident in this finely-organized work. I would encourage readers of this book to consult biologists work in the field and certainly modern analytic philosophers, such as Searle's books on social constructionism and philosophy of mind. Even a dose of Karl Popper might still be in order.
The "tipping point," as they say, is Stein's deliberate perversion of looking at sexuality -- and same-sex sexuality -- as "deviant" and thus a continuation of "queer studies." That is a philosopher's perogative, but like so many queer theorists, "assertion" is a merely a premise that still needs to be demonstrated. They are full of "assertions," but empty on evidence for it. Ergo, it's what's missing in this book that is revelatory -- and the trajectory of ideologies since PostModernism's birth in the Sixties. When will "queers" admit the facts of Darwinian evolution, or are they just as extremist as biblical fundamentalists? A question worth keeping in mind reading this book.
 A Critical Look at Sexuality July 8, 2007
Jerry G. Prochazka (Chicago, IL)
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
Stein's examination of how we define sexuality, deal with desire and how we examine and study human sexuality all come under the microscope of this amazing, smart and well-written book. I often recommend it to anyone who is questioning their sexuality, their desires or confused by why the taxonomy at times seems so ridiculous.
Many people can avoid a lot of pain and anguish by looking at Stein's work. Any discussion on sexuality must include this book. Although it is scholarly, it is not a difficult read, but some thoughts can be very eye-opening and deserve some time to simmer.
Excellent Book!
The most groundbreaking work on the subject yet March 17, 2002
Shawn Lea (Bothell, WA United States)
3 out of 4 found this review helpful
I recommend this book to everyone I talk to. It's simply outstanding.
Scientists will always seek to order the chaos, and philosophers will always seek to say that chaos can never be fully ordered. One may trim a hedge and box it into a container, but it is always alive, ever changing and growing. The best scientists can hope for is to catalog the waypoints.I wrote an essay on this subject for a lesbian and gay studies class back in 1997, knowing nothing of postmodernism, and knowing only that I was bi, and didn't seem to fit gender categories either, and was continually frustrated by people's attempts to label me. At the time, I was considered a radical, and my professor sought to discredit all of my anecdotal evidence by saying I was too young to know what I "really" was yet. That this book exists vindicates me on both a personal and professional level, and I hope will help all the rest of us "freaks" who exist outside the boxes come to terms with the idea that our chaos is the way things are meant to be, and that we should always refuse attempts at being ordered.
Challenging and well done December 28, 2000
Joan Mazza (Mineral, VA USA)
3 out of 5 found this review helpful
THE MISMEASURE OF DESIRE is a scholarly work examining the current trends in research on the origins of sexual orientation and the ethics of using the information we glean from such research. Edward Stein, a professor of philosophy, tackles the complicated issues of what is homosexuality, how we study it and research it, and the underlying assumptions and desires of science and the public in the search for causes. His discussions and the parallels to gender and religious freedom are described clearly. You don't need a Ph.D. in philosophy to read this book! His emphasis on respect for differences and a call for being aware of the limits of our current knowledge are refreshing and hopeful. I especially liked his questioning our whole concept of "homosexuality" as a natural or social kind.~~Joan Mazza, author of Dream Back Your Life; Dreaming Your Real Self; Things That Tick Me Off; and Exploring Your Sexual Self.
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