Amia Srinivasan's 'The Right to Sex' Examines Unfreedom in Desire
In her 2021 book, 'The Right to Sex,' Amia Srinivasan, who teaches Social and Political Theory at All Souls College, Oxford, argues that today's sexual landscape shows a significant lack of freedom. This essay collection delves into topics like rape, the prison system, incel violence, unhealthy relationships, and inadequate sex education. Unlike some theorists, Srinivasan believes that our desires deserve moral and political examination. Her idea of utopian feminism focuses on changing society rather than punishing individuals. The writing is described as both engaging and passionate. She views incel attacker Elliot Rodger as a 'sex abolitionist' more concerned with status than sex, raising questions about the essence of desire and suggesting that 'negative desire' might mean shunning sex altogether. The review ends by noting that positive sexual experiences can provide a welcome escape from critique.
Key facts
- Amia Srinivasan is the Chichele Professor of Social and Political Theory at All Souls College, Oxford.
- The Right to Sex was published in 2021 by Bloomsbury.
- Srinivasan argues that sex is a site of unfreedom under current conditions.
- She critiques carceral approaches to sex work and sexual violence.
- Srinivasan engages with the manifesto of incel killer Elliot Rodger.
- The book is described as angry yet icily calm and clear.
- Srinivasan's feminism is utopian, seeking universal freedom.
- The review suggests that many may not actually want sex due to its bad conditions.
Entities
Artists
- Amia Srinivasan
- Andrea Long Chu
- Elliot Rodger
- G.A. Cohen
- Charles Taylor
- Isaiah Berlin
- Judith Butler
- Stoya
- Homer Simpson
- Marge Simpson
Institutions
- All Souls College, Oxford
- Bloomsbury
- The Guardian
- ArtReview
- Pornhub
Locations
- Oxford
- United Kingdom
- California
- United States