Blog 1

Chris Fotopoulos

Definitions of Marriage

Sept. 9, 2011 Lecture

Gay Activist Shares Contrasting Views on  

“The Definition of Marriage”

Story by: Chris Fotopoulos

     Gay rights activist, John Corvino shared some of society’s contrasting views on “The Definition of Marriage” during a campus lecture September 9 on the University of Oklahoma campus in Norman.

     Corvino, a philosophy professor at Wayne State University, pointed out that at the core the debate for or against same sex marriage verses heterosexual marriage ultimately lies in what constitutes the definition of marriage. Corvino went on to explain that there are two definitions up for debate which stem from two views, the Definitional Objective and the New Natural Law (NNL).

     The Definitional Objective states that to use the term “marriage to refer to the same sex unions would in effect replace marriage with a different institution, one that lacks marriages’s essential character which is known as the Conjugal View.  According to Corvino, the conjugal view states that “marriage” is defined as a comprehensive union between a man and a women consummated by reproductive-type acts (coitus) which unites them biologically, and thus personally.

     The New Natural Law states that the definition of marriage shouldn’t

Place emphasis on the “reproductive-type” acts as being sufficient for reproduction. Corvino went on to state that this view is known as the revisionist view. He added that along with this view and the conjugal view are the two main conflicting views on marriage.

     Corvino’s lecture enlightened many on the subject of these two

views, which are at the heart of the same sex marriage debate. When asked

what was the most interesting part about professor’s Corvinos lecturel, sophomore political science major “Amy Slanchik, said “I think it was professor Corvino. He is a very interesting man, trying to make a positive difference in human society.”