A Fireside Chat on Why It’s OK to Not Be Monogamous w/ Prof. Justin Clardy
We gathered to discuss Justin Clardy's new book, Why It's OK to Not Be Monogamous at Santa Clara University on April 24th 2023. The event featured a selected chapter reading by the author followed by a fireside chat with PAGES Pod Co-host Nannearl and an audience Q & A.
About Dr. Justin Clardy: Justin Clardy is an assistant professor of Philosophy at Santa Clara University whose recent publications have investigated the intersection of love & race, and have largely focused on both the ethicality of non-monogamous relationship styles and the unjust political consequences for non-monogamists. His broader research focuses on normative questions that arise within interpersonal relationships and political theories. Within that context, he has special interests in questions about social justice and emotions such as love, sympathy, compassion, and tenderness.
About Why It's OK to Not Be Monogamous: The downsides of monogamy are felt by most people engaged in long-term relationships, including restrictions on self-discovery, limits on friendship, sexual boredom, and a circumscribed understanding of intimacy. Yet, a "happily ever after" monogamy is assumed to be the ideal form of romantic love in many modern societies: a relationship that is morally ideal and will bring the most happiness to its two partners.
In Why It’s OK to Not Be Monogamous, Justin Clardy deeply questions these assumptions. He rejects the claim that non-monogamy among honest, informed and consenting adults is morally impermissible. He shows instead how polyamorous relationships can actually be exemplars of moral virtue. The book discusses how social and political forces sustain and reward monogamous relationships. The book defines non-monogamy as a privative concept; a negation of monogamy. Looking at its prevalence in the United States, the book explains how common criticisms of non-monogamy come up short. Clardy argues, as some researchers have recently shown—monogamy relies on continually demonizing non-monogamy to sustain its moral status. Finally, the book concludes with a focus on equality, asking what justice for polyamorous individuals might look like.
