The Joy of Consent: A Philosophy of Good Sex

I see three major problems.

First, I have been reading this in German, and several times I have have had to skip arguments because I just couldn't follow them. I don't think one can really blame the translator. The original is in French, but often is based on English language concepts. When related concepts have to move across language barriers twice it is very hard to keep the nuances clear.

Second, the text very carefully avoids the fact that sex is related to reproduction. A few times it is mentioned that historically certain restrictions were based on men wanting to know that their offspring were really theirs. But there is no mention of contraception or desire for a child influencing consent. Or the needs of pregnancy and early show more childhood needing to be considered (except once regarding women having sex too early after birth to 'keep' the partner, which really shocked me, and would have shocked my gynecologist as well.) Nor was any mention made of the chances of catching STDs. OK, maybe too much attention was paid in my youth to, "If you have sex you might get pregnant. You might get 'VD'." But neither of these possibilities has gone away.

Most of the examples after we got through the BDSM material had to do with two strangers meeting at a party and what they get up to afterwards, which is not my personal experience. I cannot readily conceive of sexual encounters within a few hours of meeting somebody. Call me old-fashioned, but back in my youth I considered a certain emotional connection to be required before sex was considered.
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