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There are, I assume, very few people who think about philosophy when they're having sex.

As it happens, there were also very few people who think about sex

whilst doing philosophy.

Agnes Kalar teaches at the University of Chicago.

What makes her such an interesting and unusual thinker

is a talent for directing her philosophical flare

towards everyday human activities, including sex.

Agnes Kallard, welcome to Philosophy Bites.

Thank you.

The topic we're going to focus on today is sex.

Obviously, it's of interest to most of us.

How did you get into thinking about this from a philosophical angle?

I was reading this essay called What Is Sex For by David Halperin and in the essay he has this description of the way sex works in gay bathhouses,

where if he has sex with his boyfriend at home, he always has to wonder, was he just kind of going along with it was he trying to make

something up to me was there some ulterior motive why he was willing to have sex

with me but if you go to a bathhouse then you know that you're just wanted for your

body alone he says it's an exclusive privilege of the gay

male world that there's somewhere you can go to be wanted for your body alone.

...